


Athair

by mia_marauder_potter



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: AU even before the story begins, Adoption, Dumbledore Bashing, Founders go to the Trio's time, Godric being the greatest uncle on the entire goddamn planet, Godric is a Seer, Goes to the Founders' Time, Hogwarts Founders Era, I refuse to let him be dead, I think there's some angst, I'll fight for them, Is this too many tags, Just deal with it, Please be nice, Prophecy, Ron is a duck, SIRIUS IS ALIVE, Salazar Adopts Harry, The Golden Trio, Training, also there's a lot of inconsistencies but it'll turn out okay in the end probably, and it stresses me out on the other site, anyway, but there's some cute Harry&Salazar moments aw, dangerous centaurs, except for maybe Fabian and Gideon Prewett, maybe i just need therapy idk, no one is here to stop me, okay i went to sleep i'll try to make this make more sense, or should I go to sleep, possibly no pairings, posting this while im basically intoxicated on my nighttime meds, ron is a seer, should I put more, so no idea about pairings right now, some people have very strong feelings about pairings, the logic isn't the greatest but fuck it, this story scares me on the other site
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-29
Updated: 2021-01-13
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:34:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 23
Words: 82,883
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28410066
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mia_marauder_potter/pseuds/mia_marauder_potter
Summary: The trio are sent back to the Founders' time due to an untimely curse from Malfoy. They decide to make the most of it and learn all they can while working on finding their way home. What they don't know is that the Founders begin to wonder if they're needed in a time that isn't their own.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy & Theodore Nott & Blaise Zabini, Godric Gryffindor & Helga Hufflepuff & Rowena Ravenclaw & Salazar Slytherin, Godric Gryffindor & Salazar Slytherin, Harry Potter & Salazar Slytherin, Hermione Granger & Draco Malfoy, Hermione Granger & Harry Potter & Ron Weasley, Sirius Black & Hermione Granger
Comments: 28
Kudos: 116





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Okay. So this story comes with a few warnings. 
> 
> I am aware that there's inconsistencies or things that are just flat out wrong. The Founders were not alive 2,000 years ago. In my defense, I yelled to my sister, asked when they were alive, and just wrote down whatever she said. Just go with it. 
> 
> There likely will come a day that I come back and fix every issue this story has, but that day isn't today. 
> 
> And just so you're aware, I started writing this story about five years ago, when I first started writing fanfics. My writing has changed a LOT since then, and so there's a point where the story might be noticeably different. I hope it's a good sort of different. Hang in there with me, because I WILL get this story finished.
> 
> And as always, thank you for reading.

Sometimes, Harry reflected, he needed to pay attention to Hermione’s warnings. Sometimes luck wasn’t on their side and they needed both skill and knowledge to get through things. So, when Hermione and Ron ran to him while his chest, glowing golden as the Time-Turner broke, he allowed himself to admit he was wrong. He felt them touch him just in time and cursed as the pull against his magic and soul tugged them back. He remembered the feeling from when he went back in time with Hermione in their third year, and he still didn’t like it. 

He could see time turning back. He saw the spell Malfoy sent and then the blonde walking outside to antagonize him. It seemed to get faster and he felt it get a bit colder. Suddenly it was the previous winter, and Harry felt sick with worry. They weren’t supposed to be able to go back this far. It kept getting faster and faster and then he was back to their second year. He saw himself and Ron heading back to the Forbidden Forest, following the spiders. Then he was in his first year and was watching them pestering Hagrid about the Stone. 

And then everything sped up, and they flew back to the seventies. It took a minute before he recognized his parents. He watched them smile at each other and kiss as they walked toward Hogsmeade. He saw Snape yelling at his mother and calling her a mudblood. He saw James ask Lily out for the millionth time, only to see her finally say yes. He watched as his parents fought a ridiculous fight. He watched Sirius lure Snape to Moony and watched Prongs lead him away and save his life. He saw Sirius leave for the train with James, looking scared and asking James if their mum really wanted him still. He watched as Sirius got into a duel with Amycus Carrow and almost died, only for Lily to save his life by using the counter-curse for the curse Snape invented and told her about. He watched as James got a howler for stealing his great grandmother’s ring to propose to Lily, and saw Lily smirk at the aggressive blush on James’s face. He saw Sirius hide behind James as Regulus Black was sorted into Slytherin and looked vaguely disappointed, stealing longing glances at his big brother. He saw James, Lily, Sirius, Remus, Peter, Severus, Mary MacDonald, Marlene Mickinnon, and all of their other friends being sorted into their houses to begin their careers at school.

And then he saw a couple that looked vaguely familiar, but he couldn’t place. The woman had pitch black hair and Sirius’s striking silver eyes. The man had unruly Potter hair and a stubborn jaw, with eyes as chocolate as Hermione’s. They flew through the couple’s time at Hogwarts, and Harry realized they were his grandparents, and wished he’d known them. 

From then, it went faster and with less clarity. Harry was getting tired, and felt like his magic was wearing out. Life after life, they flew through the history of Hogwarts. It was cold and tiring, but he watched with extreme interest and learned a surprising amount about not only the place itself, but the people he realized were his ancestors. He was amazed as he went farther and farther. He couldn’t tell how long it had been before he stopped. He felt like he’d been there forever, and he was incredibly relieved to be let go.

But that was when his core hit a critically low level and he passed out.

* * *

“I’m just saying, it’s impractical to try to train a dragon to protect the grounds,” Rowena sighed. 

“I can’t believe he actually suggested it,” Godric said, incredulous. “They’re much too dangerous.”

“And they’d eat one of the children as soon as they got hungry,” Salazar added, not looking up from his book.

“Come now, he’s not got much training in the subject of magical creatures,” Helga told them. “We have to be patient while he catches up. He wasn’t raised with magic.”

Salazar hummed his agreement and closed his book, eyes narrowing. “Something is coming.”

“You feel something?” Rowena asked quietly, suddenly very serious. Salazar nodded and frowned.

“It does not feel dangerous. It feels… lost?” He suggested. Helga opened her mouth to reply, but they were cut off by a high-pitched scream coming from the grounds. The four of them quickly made their way outside and to the rocks leading down to the forest. Godric blinked.

“What on earth…” he muttered. He watched the two women shove past him to get to the three teenagers on the ground. One of them looked deathly sick, one was checking to make sure he was okay, and the other standing and protecting them.

“Who are you?” The redhead demanded as Helga and Rowena tried to move to his friends. “Don’t- don’t come closer.”

“I feel we should be asking you that,” Salazar said coolly. Godric nodded quietly, standing taller. The two looked quite dangerous at the moment, and Godric had to admit the redhead was brave. He didn’t even blink at them. Though if it was his friend in trouble, Godric would do the same. 

“We’re-,” the boy started, but the bushy haired girl interrupted.

“Not important,” she snapped. “Harry’s… I don’t feel a pulse.” Her voice cracked as she spoke.

“Then move,” Rowena demanded. “And we will try to heal him.”

“Why?” The redhead asked sharply. “Why should we trust you? I don’t recognize you. You may be bloody Death Eaters for all we know.”

“Ronald!” The girl hissed. Godric saw tears forming in her eyes and felt for her, but he understood what her friend – Ronald, apparently – was doing. 

“It is alright,” Godric sighed. “I am Godric Gryffindor-,” there were two sharp gasps and the little color left in their faces disappeared. He blinked at them.

“So…” the girl looked around with wide eyes and let her gaze fall on his raven haired friend. “You’re… Merlin, you’re Salazar Slytherin?” 

“Yes.”

She looked at their female friends. “And Rowena Ravenclaw and Helga Hufflepuff?”

“Yes,” Rowena said sharply. “Now would you please move so I can save your friend? You can explain who you are at the same time.”

“I- of course,” she said, standing to move. She went to take a step, but was evidently too shaky. Whatever the three had been through had obviously taken quite the toll on them. Her legs shook and, before she could move more than a foot, her legs gave out. Before she could hit the ground, Salazar grabbed her and held her up. “Th- thank you.”

He inclined his head and helped her sit down on the grass, where Ronald joined her, pointedly ignoring Salazar. He stayed quiet, obviously letting her take the lead. She sighed, staring only at their black haired friend, who Godric realized looked creepily like Salazar. 

“My name is Hermione Granger,” she said. She turned to look Salazar directly in the eye. “I’m a muggleborn witch.” Whatever reaction she was looking for, she seemed surprise to not find. She turned back to their friend and continued, nodding at the redhead absently. “That’s Ron Weasley. We were looking for Harry when we found him out here, dueling with Malfoy… I think we distracted him or something because he didn’t block Malfoy’s stunner, which he always does. It hit our… it hit something special and magical that he was wearing around his neck, and the thing broke.”

“It was so weird,” Ron said quietly. “It was like we lived all of their lives. We witnessed it all, at least.”

Hermione grimaced but nodded. “Since he was wearing it, we went through his ancestry. I think it stopped here because this was the last time one of his ancestors was seen at Hogwarts. We’re lucky it did – I don’t know if we’d have lived otherwise. I don’t think it could act as a portkey or anything, so we might have just been torn apart into atoms.”

“Into what now?” Ron asked with a frown. Godric couldn’t help but agree with the confusion.

“Muggle science,” Hermione waved off the question, turning to look into Godric’s eyes seriously. “Who is at the school right now?”

“He’s alive,” Helga muttered, sounding relieved. “But his core is dangerously drained. What exactly happened?”

Hermione grimaced and turned to Salazar. “Professor, do you know Occlumency?”

“Of course,” the man said quietly. 

“Then look and tell them I am not lying,” she suggested. Ron didn’t seem to like the idea.

“No way!” He yelled. “You are not letting him-,” they didn’t get to know what he was trying to say, because she shot him a _look_ and he shut up, but glared heavily. At what, Godric couldn’t say.

“He won’t do anything,” she said sharply. “I think we’re wrong.”

“How could we be?” Ron asked darkly, frowning. “Everyone says it-,”

“That may just be the issue,” she told him. When he stared at her like she was crazy, she sighed impatiently. “Do you know what mob mentality is?”

“Is this another muggle thing?”

“Yes,” she shrugged. “Mob mentality is when a large group of people are excited, intimidated, scared, or just influenced by the same idea or action and repeat or agree with it. There was a case in the sixties where a whole town of people danced for forty days. Many people passed out from exhaustion, and some with heart conditions or the like even died.”

“What’re you saying?” Ron asked, obviously lost.

“Think about it,” she sighed. “Eight hundred years. That’s a lot of mob mentality. We don’t have much real information on them, so we can’t be sure that what we know is true.”

“What about the basilisk?” Ron shot back. Hermione grimaced but shrugged.

“He was being controlled by Tom Riddle. And think about it, Harry heard him talking about it in the pipes. He could’ve been doing that to attempt to warn people.”

“That’s mental,” Ron breathed. 

“It’s a theory,” she insisted. “And I think it’s worth trying to trust him. We have no real, factual evidence that anything that was said was true, aside from the Chamber, and even that is somewhat iffy.”

“You’re mental,” he muttered. “If he hurts you-,”

“Ronald!” She snapped. “I know how to protect my mind, thank you very much.” She turned to Salazar and offered him an apologetic smile. “I would appreciate if you would confirm that I am telling the truth. I understand that these are dark times, and I would like to assure you that we are no threat.”

“Of course,” Salazar said, nodding. He was understandably curious and even a little nervous. Hermione took a deep breath and nodded, looking him straight in the eye. Salazar gently let his magic work and prodded carefully, surprised at the strong shields she was letting down for him.

“The three of us,” she said, referring to herself, Ron, and Harry, “are from eight hundred years in the future.

That shocked Salazar into almost dropping the spell, but he managed to regain his composure just in time. He sifted through some memories, each of them telling him that they weren’t lying. He hit one shield and poked gently at it, but stopped when he noticed a flash of pain whip through Hermione. Whatever it was, it seemed private. 

When he was satisfied that they were telling the truth, he looked away and nodded quietly at Godric. “It is the truth.”

“How?” Rowena breathed, amazed.

“Time travel is possible in the future,” Hermione sighed. “I used a device to take all the classes I could during my third year. I would go to one class and then turn it back and hour and go to the next.”

“You overworked yourself that year,” Ron muttered. “I thought you were gonna keel over in the library.”

“Ronald!” Hermione scolded, but she moved on. “Anyway, I had to give it back at the end of the year, because I used it… wrong-,”

“Helping an escaped convict flee captivity is ‘wrong’?” Ron said under his breath. Hermione rolled her eyes, but Salazar frowned, having heard him.

“I gave it back, and my Head of House has had it since, but things got… bad this year.”

“So we hinted that we needed it, and McGonagall hinted at where it was, and we’ve been using it to help the younger students when they need it,” Ron told them with a sad smile. “My brothers do what they can, too, but it’s not enough.”

“And Harry had just gotten finished helping a first year when he was headed to meet us to go see Hagrid – our groundskeeper – but Malfoy stopped him, and they got into a duel,” Hermione said with an annoyed sigh. “Boys.”

“Hey!” Ron protested. Godric saw Helga’s lips twitch into an amused smile. 

“Malfoy broke the Time-Turner, and it sent us through Harry’s timeline. It stopped here.”

“Why?” Godric asked. “Didn’t you say he has ancestors here?”

Ron and Hermione shared a glance and Hermione took a deep breath. “It is likely.”

“But we are the only ones here for now,” Godric told her. “The children have returned home for the harvest.” 

“We know,” she told him quietly, looking away. Godric blinked for a few seconds before his mouth fell open. 

“Are you saying he’s related to one of us?” Salazar asked curiously. Hermione shrugged, agitated.

“I can’t be sure. There have been rumors that the Potters were descended from… but he’s also got that connection to Voldemort, who is… we just can’t be sure. It could be both or neither,” she sighed.

“I always heard the Potter line started with Ignotus Peverell,” Ron told her. Hermione winced as Godric frowned, recognizing the name of the line.

“My great great grandmother was a Peverell,” he muttered. Hermione rubbed her forehead with her hands as Ron seemed to get it. Godric’s eyes widened and he glanced back at Harry. “Oh.”

“We’re not sure,” Hermione said quickly. “It- it could be something else.”

“I’ve done all I can,” Rowena announced. “But we should move this conversation and Harry to the infirmary.”

“Thank you,” Hermione said, smiling kindly. 

“And we should look you two over, too,” Helga said, looking at Ron and Hermione with a frown on her face. “This trip may have been powered by your friend, but you had to keep up somehow. I’m surprised you’re not as bad as Harry here.”

Hermione didn’t respond, deciding to just offer a small smile. They quietly made their way to the castle once more with Godric levitating Harry in front of them. It was a short walk to the infirmary, and the kids were left to rest after getting a quick checkup while the Founders talked privately about their new and unexpected guests.

* * *

“-all asleep,” a woman whispered with a sigh. “What do you think?”

“I’m not sure,” a man replied quietly. “They are telling the truth, I know that much, but… they are also hiding something.”

“Do you think they are-,”

“No,” he said in a hard voice. “No.”

“Alright,” she sighed again. “It seems we will all be having a nice conversation when they’re all healed.”

“What about their friend?” He asked her. There was a long stretch of silence before she answered hesitantly.

“It depends on his magic. Most would be dead from something like that. I did some more in depth tests and… well, his magic was bound… and it has been since he was a babe.”

“You’re not serious,” the man said in horror. 

“I am. It seemed more than half of his power was bound. His core has scars from it.” Her voice was tight and she was obviously very angry. “The binding was removed when they began their trip. I believe his need for the locked magic was stronger than what it was being bound by.”

“To do that to a child…” the man muttered, anger tinging his voice. They were silent for a few minutes as they each calmed down before the woman took a deep breath.

“I must get to bed,” she told him. “Healing the wounds on his core took a lot out of me. I must rest.”

“That’s fine,” he said softly. “Get some rest. I’ll stay with them for now, in case they wake.”

“Alright.” She agreed. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

Harry laid still for another few minutes, trying to process what was said. He didn’t know where he was or who he was with, but he had no doubt that they’d been talking about him. Which meant… but what did it mean to bind magic? And who would do that to him? He was getting increasingly frustrated.

* * *

Salazar stood against the wall, letting his thoughts run rampant. That morning, he’d been planning on doing research on more warding for the castle, and the day had ended in much more of a mess than previously expected. 

He’d been uneasy when he heard Ron and Hermione talking. Having never met him and being from eight hundred years into the future, Ron immediately disliked him and didn’t trust him. Occlumency was a big deal, Salazar knew that better than anyone, but he’d done nothing to deserve that sort of utter distaste.

The Founder froze abruptly when he felt a harsh wave of panicked and angry magic rush through the room. It was easy to tell where it was coming from, so he cautiously made his way over to Harry’s bed. “Harry,” he said softly. The boy turned quickly, reaching for his wand and barely realizing it wasn’t there.

“Who are you?” He hissed in confusion. 

“What do you remember?” Salazar asked quietly. Harry frowned, still keeping away from him cautiously as he tried to remember.

“My parents…” he breathed. “I… I saw them… their lives at Hogwarts and… I saw my parents…”

“What else do you remember?” The man asked gently. Harry blinked at him.

“I saw… my grandparents, and then other people. I saw so many people, and then… I don’t know.”

“Then, you passed out from magical exhaustion,” Salazar told him. “And it is absolutely remarkable that you are already awake.”

“That woman… she said my core was bound?” Salazar winced. He wouldn’t be the best person to explain that.

“Yes,” he confirmed carefully. “Since you were a baby. It has been… removed.”

“Obliterated,” the boy muttered. From what he’d heard, that was the better word for it.

“I suppose so.”

“But what does it do? I’ve never heard of it.”

“To bind a magical core… it is a despicable act. It damages not only the core, but the magic itself, and the person. It is an awful thing to do, especially to a child. I do not know who did this to you, Harry, but they are dangerous. When you get back, I suggest you find out who did this and keep away from them.”

“Probably Voldemort,” he muttered bitterly. 

“Who?”

Harry frowned. “How do you not know about Voldemort?”

“Because you’re far from home,” the Founder said. “Your friend Hermione says you had a Time-Turner on when you were hit by a spell.”

“Yeah, I- oh,” his eyes widened as he began to understand what he’d seen and what had happened. “I- okay, well… then, when am I? How far back did we go?”

“I believe your friend Hermione said it was eight hundred years,” he answered, watching the boy carefully. “She seemed to know my friends and I.”

“Eight hundred…” Harry paused, looking at Salazar closer now. “Who are you?”

“I am Salazar Slytherin.”

There was a very long minute of silence as Harry processed that. “But you don’t look like the statue in the Chamber.”

It was Salazar’s turn to be surprised. The boy had been in his Chamber? “I don’t expect I would. That is my mentor – the man who taught Godric and myself. Godric suggested it.”

“Gryffindor… knows about the Chamber?” Harry asked, frowning. Salazar blinked at him.

“Of course. So do Rowena and Helga.”

“But… they said…”

“Harry,” the man said gently. “what is going on?”

“How do you feel about muggleborns?” The boy asked abruptly. Salazar shrugged.

“I feel bad for them. They are raised in the muggle world and must catch up on so much when they come for their education. Some of them don’t even know how to write their names,” he said honestly. “I have been trying to get another school set up for them so they can learn the basics before they come here.”

“ _That’s_ why you want a different school for muggleborns?” Harry asked, incredulous. 

“Not a different one, just another. Why else would I want one?” He was getting a bad feeling about whatever was going on with the teenagers.

“Everyone thinks… they said you hated muggleborns… and…” Harry winced. “The basilisk…”

“My basilisk?” Salazar asked sharply. 

“It… it was meant to… kill them…” he said slowly. “It nearly killed me, and it petrified Hermione.”

“Tessa is not meant to kill,” Salazar growled. “She is meant to defend all the students.”

Harry ran his fingers through his hair and stared at the man in front of him. “So many people in Slytherin are Dark wizards. Most of them follow Voldemort.”

“I do not understand… I do not teach any Dark Magic,” Salazar frowned at the boy in front of him. “I am not strictly a dark wizard, either.”

“Everyone said the Chamber of Secrets…” he trailed off, shaking his head and rubbing his thumb over his left forearm. “Professor McGonagall said that you wanted to be more… selective about students at Hogwarts. She said you only wanted Purebloods here, and that when you couldn’t get everyone to agree, you left the school.”

Salazar scoffed. “Obviously not.”

“She said that before you left, you sealed the Chamber until your heir came back to the school and opened it.” He took a deep breath, obviously remembering. “That when they did come back and open it, it would unleash a monster – the basilisk – to… to _purge_ the school of who you saw unworthy of being there. Muggleborns.”

They were silent for a few minutes as Salazar calmed his anger. “That is not true.”

“What part?”

“All of it,” he whispered. “I am still at the school. I have not sealed the chamber and I couldn’t do so without the others. I do not hate muggleborns at all, and what’s more – I don’t have an heir.”

“You- then how did Voldemort unseal the chamber?”

“If it was sealed to begin with,” Salazar said slowly, “then it is likely that this Voldemort just removed the wards and charms and all of the other protections around it.”

“So… Voldemort isn’t your heir?”

“No.”

They fell silent for another few minutes as they both processed the information they were given. It was Salazar that spoke again. “How did you survive?”

“Huh?”

“You said my basilisk nearly killed you,” he clarified. Harry shuddered at the memory.

“Tom made her try to kill me. I thought she wanted to do what she was doing. I didn’t know she was meant to protect us.”

“It is fine. What happened?”

“She was chasing me. Fawkes – our Headmaster Dumbledore’s phoenix – had come to help. He blinded your basilisk so that I could run and look behind myself. We made it back to the statue and I climbed up it. Fawkes brought me…” he gave a humorless laugh. “He brought me the Sorting Hat, and I pulled… well, I pulled out the Sword of Gryffindor. I used it to kill the basilisk, but it- er, her fang was in my arm.”

“That’s impossible,” Salazar breathed. “You’d die in seconds.”

“Yeah, I know. Bloody painful, too. But Fawkes rescued me again. He cried on the wound, and phoenix tears can heal anything.”

“How old were you?” The man asked curiously. Harry winced again, and Salazar narrowed his eyes. “How old were you?”

“I was… er, twelve.”

“You were twelve.”

“Yeah.”

“Where were your teachers?” Salazar demanded. “Where were any responsible adults?”

“Er- Professor Lockhart came with us.”

“He doesn’t count mate,” Ron muttered from across the room, making Harry jump. “He tried to Obliviate us.”

Harry gave Salazar a sheepish smile. “Yeah… but he was an adult.”

“One of your teachers tried to Obliviate you?” Salazar asked, incredulous.

“Yeah… he wasn’t my favorite,” Harry admitted. 

“Why was he hired in the first place?”

“I expect no one else applied,” Ron said as he stood, walking over to them. He still seemed wary of Slytherin, but he’d been listening for a while and believed the man wasn’t an evil Dark Lord set out to destroy muggles and muggleborns. 

“Why?”

“Because of the curse,” he shrugged. “No teacher has lasted more than a year as DADA teacher in forty years.”

“Which is just rubbish,” Hermione chipped in from the bed next to Harry, apparently also unable to sleep through the conversation. “I don’t believe it’s true, and Professor McGonagall certainly doesn’t. I think people just think it’s true, so everyone leaves.”

“What about Lupin?” Harry asked her calmly. “He was forced to leave.”

“No,” she denied. “He chose to leave because he thought they would force him to leave. He didn’t even know if Professor Snape actually told anyone.”

“And Moody?”

“He never taught us to begin with,” she said, waving the suggestion off. “He doesn’t count. Crouch Jr was Kissed, so he couldn’t have come back.”

“Well you can’t deny Quirrel,” Ron told her. Salazar watched them, amazed, as they debated the curse.

“He died,” she rolled her eyes. Harry tensed at the words, and visibly drew back. Whatever happened there, Salazar had a feeling it wasn’t good.

“Yeah! The curse at work,” Ron nodded firmly as if she’d just proven his point. 

“Who is Voldemort?” Salazar interrupted, watching in confusion as Ron and Hermione flinched. No one answered for a long minute and the three of them seemed to have a silent conversation in the same way that he did with his three friends.

“He is a dark lord from our time,” Hermione said quietly. “He’s set on killing muggleborns and muggles, and even half-bloods.”

“Not to mention anyone that disagrees with him,” Ron muttered. “He killed my uncles.”

“He killed my parents,” Harry told him, staring down at his hands. “And tried to kill me. I was a year old.”

“I am sorry,” Salazar told them honestly. Harry shrugged.

“When he didn’t manage to kill me, he was mad. He’s been trying to finish me off ever since,” Harry explained. “He was a wraith for years until… until he managed to regain a body last year.”

“And the Ministry of Magic refuses to admit he’s back, so only Dumbledore is willing and able to do anything about it,” Hermione added sadly.

“I see,” Salazar sighed. “Well, the three of you should get back to sleep. You have a long day ahead of you, and you’ll need your rest.”

“What do you mean?” Ron asked with a frown.

“I mean that we need to decide what to do with you and how to help. You are students of Hogwarts, after all, and we are the Founders of the school.”

* * *


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So when I originally posted this on fanfic.net, I touched on a few things and I wanted to do that again. So someone had asked me, essentially, why the Founders speak so similarly to the trio and I’ve got two answers - the first being that the trio went back through eight hundred years of lives and basically learned how to speak like the Founders and the second being that… I just don’t know how they’d have spoken back then, so I left it like this. 
> 
> I really should've added this note to the first chapter but I didn't see it until I opened chapter two, so... I'm too lazy to edit chapter one.

Hermione didn’t sleep that night. She had so many questions to ask and so much she wanted to know, but she had to wait. She was also worried. They’d gone so far back… would they even be able to get back to their own time? If so, would they just age the eight hundred years that they travelled like the famously dead Unspeakable that had gone back five hundred years? It all scared her deeply, and she was totally unable to put any of the anxious thoughts aside to rest. 

So when morning came and they were escorted by Salazar – who Hermione found herself liking – to the Founders office, she was practically bouncing in place. She pulled her hair back into a wild bun and sat on Harry’s right, facing the four founders. She shared a quick look with her friends before offering the adults a small smile. “Thank you for helping us yesterday.”

“It is no problem,” Helga said kindly. “We are only glad we got there in time.”

“But there is the question of what to do with you now,” Rowena told them. Hermione shared another look with her friends before speaking up.

“We would like to get back,” she promised. “We just don’t know how. The Time-Turner broke, and that’s the only form of time travel that we know.”

It was the Founders turn to share a look, and then Salazar spoke up, his voice soft and filled with caution. “We would like to use Legilimency to ensure you are telling the truth and can be trusted.”

Hermione nodded immediately, but Harry obviously didn’t agree. “No!”

“Harry-,” Hermione tried.

“No,” he said again. “I’m not doing that again.”

“That was with Snape,” she said calmly. “and he hates you. I think it might be different with someone else.”

“I will be gentle,” Salazar said quietly. “I just need to make sure you are no threat.”

“Is there no other way?” Hermione asked. Harry looked at her with wide eyes.

“What about Veritaserum?” He asked. “Someone at my trial wanted to use it on me.”

“That’s illegal!” Hermione huffed. Harry rolled his eyes.

“I did say they wanted to, not that they did. But would it work?”

“Yes,” she said slowly. “Except it won’t be invented for another thousand years, and it’s a seventh-year potion. Not even I know how to make it yet.”

“Hermione, I don’t want anyone digging through my head,” Harry said quietly. “it is not a pleasant feeling.”

“You would only feel it if you have been practicing Occlumency for years,” Rowena told him with a confused frown. “Salazar has been doing this since he was a boy. He is a master at it.”

“Harry,” Hermione whispered, touching his arm gently. “I don’t think there is any other choice.”

Harry was quiet for a long minute before he looked up, meeting Salazar’s curious gaze. “Fine, but I want to do it alone.”

“That is fine,” the man said, nodding once. Ron looked a little put out at the thought, but stayed uncharacteristically quiet. “Why don’t we do your friends first, and then we can get some privacy?”

“That’s fine,” he sighed. Hermione smiled at the man.

“I’ll go first, if you like,” she offered. He nodded at her and looked her in the eye.

“Legilimens,” he muttered, focusing his magic. The two were quiet for a few minutes before Slytherin dropped the spell and shot his friends a grim look. “Ron, your turn.”

Ron, silent as before, just nodded and stared down Slytherin, who repeated the process. When he broke the spell, he blinked in shock. “Spiders?” The boy shivered.

“So many.”

Harry looked grim at the memory, and Hermione just sighed. She’d missed the entire thing because she’d gone and gotten herself petrified. 

“Harry, are you ready?” Salazar asked. Harry nodded quietly, and the other three founders stood. “Then if you’ll excuse us, Ron, Hermione.” Harry’s friends shot him a nervous and comforting look each and left the room with the other three. “Anything I see will be confidential,” Salazar promised. 

“Thank you,” Harry said, his voice tight. It wasn’t going to be fun, living through those memories again. 

Salazar nodded and looked into the green eyes that eerily resembled his own. Shaking off the thought, he cast the spell quietly and was immediately tossed recklessly into a graveyard. 

“Kill the spare,” a voice hissed. A moment later, a green light flashed and the boy to Harry’s right was killed. Salazar felt something twist painfully inside of him as he watched the look of utter despair on Harry’s face. He sighed and reached out for any other random memory. The one he got was not much better. 

Harry was sitting in a chair in the middle of a large room. There were easily two hundred witches and wizards staring down at him, all of them arguing about what he’d done. Suddenly, an old and flamboyant looking man in pale blue robes swept into the room, effectively silencing everyone. 

“Witness for the defense!” The man yelled. “Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore.” The Minister and the Headmaster spoke for a minute before they got down to business. Harry was accused of something that Salazar wasn’t entirely sure about, and it was obvious the boy was getting frustrated.

“I was only doing it because of the Dementors!” He yelled. Salazar’s blood went cold at the words and didn’t even hear the Minister accuse him of lying. He watched the rest of the trial play out and watched as, thankfully, Harry was cleared of the charges. 

He rushed to change the memory. He needed to know more about this boy. 

The next memory he reached out for made Salazar feel sick. All he saw before Harry’s magic flared up in defense was someone casting the Cruciatus on the poor boy. He was thrown from that memory to another, and suddenly he was in a  _ very _ pink room. A woman, who was wearing robes as pink as the surrounding area, sat in front of Harry as he wrote on a piece of parchment. “I must not tell lies,” the paper said. Salazar frowned. Harry didn’t seem like the sort to lie. His stomach churned when he saw the words suddenly scratching themselves into Harry’s skin. He’d seen all he needed to there.

After that, Harry was walking through the forest by the lake. Ron and Hermione were some ways away, singing an odd song with a… half giant? He was too small to be a full giant and too large to be human. Harry came upon a hat dropped on the forest floor and frowned deeply. He turned to see the other side of the tree, and Salazar winced. There was a dead body – someone Harry seemed to recognize, though he probably didn’t know the man well – lying on the ground. He sighed and pulled at another memory.

Then he found himself in a room full of defense equipment with at least thirty other children. Harry walked slowly around the room, correcting their wand movements and teaching them a spell Salazar didn’t recognize. From the minute he spent there, the man could tell Harry was a great teacher.

The next memory was long and painful to watch, but he was glad for it in the end. He saw Harry fighting Tessa and watched him kill her in the end. The man was thankful for that. His old friend would despise herself if she knew what she would someday do. 

After that, Harry was sitting in a dark room, surrounded by fire. He was holding a stunning red stone and had been knocked to the ground. A man approached him, and tried to choke him. After a few agonizing seconds, Harry reached up and grabbed his hand, which promptly disintegrated. In the end, the boy had killed the man – though Salazar guessed he’d already been dead, or would be soon. 

Before he could find anything else, he stopped himself and pulled back from the boy’s mind. Harry had tears rolling down his cheeks, and Salazar winced. He hadn’t meant to push so hard. Maybe he hadn’t caused any mental or physical pain, but he seemed to have reopened some emotional wounds. 

Salazar nodded at Harry. “I am sorry that this was necessary, but now we can truly lend you our help and care.”

“I understand,” Harry told him, managing to keep his voice steady. He hesitated before speaking again. “Ron and Hermione… they don’t know about some of that stuff.”

“I will not tell,” Salazar promised. “I understand.”

“Really,” Harry said in obvious disbelief. 

“Yes,” the man replied honestly, meeting the boy’s gaze again. “I truly do.” Harry paused, seeing the truth in his eyes. Salazar frowned at him. “Harry, have you ever talked to anyone about any of it? The things you can’t tell your friends, I mean.”

“No,” Harry said immediately, looking at him like he was insane. 

“What about your guardians?” It was impossible to miss the way Harry looked at him with that suggestion.

“That’s not likely,” the boy said. 

“Your teachers?” Salazar asked, deciding not to push.

“No. McGonagall is brilliant, but she doesn’t trust us when we really need her to. Dumbledore is… and there’s really no one else. Snape hates my guts, and I guess it’s because of my parents.” He thought of the moments he witnessed of his parents’ time at Hogwarts and how so much of Snape’s actions made more sense now.

“Is there anyone you can talk to?” the founder asked, becoming more concerned about the boy. 

“There’s… there’s Sirius,” he sighed. “My godfather. But he’s just gotten out of Azkaban, and he can’t handle this stuff yet. And there’s Lupin, but… well, Sirius needs him. I get that.”

“So, you’re saying you’ve got no one to speak to?” Salazar asked, frowning. Harry nodded quietly. “Then come to me if you need to speak.”

“I- really?” Harry blinked.

“Yes,” Salazar replied, nodding. “I do not know how long you will be here, but you are welcome to find me if you are ever in need.”

“Thank you,” Harry said softly. Salazar offered a small smile and waved his hand, opening the door silently and taking down the privacy wards at the same time. Their friends made their way back in, and the three other founders gave Salazar a look. Salazar nodded slightly, and Godric grinned brightly.

“Wonderful!” He boomed. “Let’s start talking!” 

“I’ve got a question,” Rowena said. Salazar smirked at her.

“Just one?”

“Quiet,” she told him, rolling her eyes. “Why did you mention spiders?” She asked Harry. The boy shot a look at Ron before speaking slowly.

“There are… in our time… a lot of very large spiders in the forest. Certain events led us to believe that we needed to follow them to be able to get our friend out of prison.”

“Yeah, and instead, they just tried to bloody kill us,” Ron muttered in annoyance. 

“They tried to kill you?” Helga asked, horrified. Harry shrugged.

“They didn’t, so…”

“You sound like Godric,” Rowena scoffed. Harry grinned and shared looks with his friends.

“Well…”

“Oh, don’t tell me…” Salazar shook his head. “You’re in Gryffindor?”

“Yep,” Ron said with a grin. 

“You too?” Godric asked. Hermione smiled sheepishly. 

“And me.”

“You?” Rowena asked with wide eyes. They’d spoken for twenty minutes and already the woman adored her. Hermione nodded and shrugged.

“The Hat suggested I go to Ravenclaw, but said that I was needed in Gryffindor more,” she told them. Ron shrugged.

“All of my family has gone to Gryffindor,” he said proudly.

“I almost got put in Slytherin,” Harry offered. “But the hat said that I ‘wouldn’t do well with  _ those _ Slytherins’ and I’d just met Draco Malfoy, so I agreed and asked to follow Ron.”

Salazar tensed at the mention of what had happened to his House. He’d lost so much already and his name and the school were all that he had left. To find out that those things had been so distorted was devastating. “I’d have been honored to have you in my House,” he said quietly. Harry seemed to be the only one to hear, and the boy smiled gratefully at him. 

“We can’t stay here,” Harry said quietly, though he was loud enough for everyone to hear. “I’ve got to get back – I’ve got to defeat Voldemort.”

“We were not suggesting you stay for longer than necessary,” Rowena told him gently. “But I do not know how long it will take to find you a way home, and we need to find a story.”

“What are you suggesting?” Hermione asked. 

“I suggest you stay and learn from us and we will see to your needs. I think it would be best if one of you is adopted by one of us to help explain your sudden appearance.”

“A-adopted?” Harry repeated, eyes wide. “Why?”

“Well, it is common for homeless magicals to be adopted by good people into the magical world, since we have no magical adoption agencies.”

“What about the two that aren’t adopted?” Hermione wondered.

“Friends of Harry that came along,” she said as if it were obvious. “Magicals often group together, so if your magical parents died, it would be understandable that your friends followed you somewhere safe.” 

“So… you’re saying I need to be adopted?” Harry clarified. Rowena nodded, and Harry glanced at Salazar with a frown. “But we can learn from you?”

“Of course,” Godric said with a smile. “You are our students – we would not deny you an education, especially when it seems like you’ve got dangerous times ahead.”

“Thank you,” Hermione smiled at them in awe. Harry understood for once. The Founders were the smartest witches and wizards for centuries to come with only Merlin meeting their level of power and knowledge, and he was their student. 

“It is our pleasure,” Rowena smiled. “Now what classes have you been taking?”

And the conversation dissolved into discussions on theory and practical use. It had been nearly three hours before the elves brought them lunch and they separated to talk alone. The Founders left the kids in their office and moved to Helga’s private office – the closest private space they could get to. Once they were settled, everyone turned an expectant eye to Salazar, who just sighed wearily.

“He has had a hard life,” he offered. Godric frowned.

“What do you mean?”

“His parents were killed by this Voldemort fellow – who claims to be my heir, by the way – and he was raised by guardians who sound… less than supportive. His Headmaster, Dumbledore, is more involved in his life than he should be. He is constantly put in danger at school, every year, and he was forced to kill someone when he was eleven, and then killed Tessa when he was twelve. She almost killed him.” Salazar took a deep breath and looked Rowena in the eyes. “You say someone must adopt him?”

“Yes, but-,”

“Then I will do it,” he told her firmly. She paused and nodded. He obviously meant it, and opening old wounds would do no good, so she didn’t question him. “Aside from that, they are all in very much real danger from this Voldemort. They need to know as much as we can teach them about battle.”

“We should watch them duel later,” Godric suggested, looking as grim as the rest of them felt. “See what they need to learn.”

“I agree,” Helga said softly. “We should focus on their dueling first, and then if it is or becomes sufficient, we will work on the rest of their education.”

“Agreed,” Rowena nodded. 

“I’ve been wondering something,” Salazar said quietly. “Yesterday, they said that Harry was one of our descendants.”

“Yes,” Rowena said with a sigh. “Which makes it troubling, since he looks as if he could truly be your child.”

“So you believe he is related to me?” Salazar asked with a raised eyebrow. Helga shrugged.

“We cannot be sure. Ron said that he was related to the Peverells, and that is Godric’s family.” The four friends were quiet for a moment as they considered the possibilities, but a panicked looking elf popped in before they could debate anymore.

“The young master is sick!” The little thing squeaked. “He fell down and hit his head!”

The four of them shared a look and bolted from the room, the elf following them to help. They arrived to a scene much like they’d found the day before, but this time, Harry’s magic could be felt heavy in the air, and Hermione was standing aware from him by a step or two, nursing a new black eye. Ron made to move to Harry and was promptly hit by a blinding light of magic. The Founders jumped into action, but they were too late. When they could see properly again, Ron was gone and had been replaced by a… duck? 

It was nearly fifteen minutes by the time Helga had calmed Hermione down, Rowena had secured Ron, and Godric realized Salazar was the best man to get close to Harry to wake him. When anyone else got close, the boy’s magic lashed out, but Salazar could reach him with few complications. 

Salazar used his own raw magic to soothe Harry’s back to a calm state, which took another half an hour. By the time he was done, Hermione had calmed down and managed to explain what she could to Helga, but Salazar wasn’t paying attention. He was much too focused on calming the boy’s magic. 

When it was safe, Helga made her way over and healed his head injury, and then woke him. The raven-haired boy looked around wearily before his gaze rested upon Ron. “Is that… a duck?”

“Er- yeah,” Hermione gave him a small smile. Her black eye had already been healed, something that was probably a good decision considering how Harry was likely to freak out if he’d seen it. “How are you feeling?”

“Fine,” Harry said after a moment. “Just tired. What happened?” 

“You had a panic attack,” his friend said slowly. “I think it just hit you where we are and all.”

“Okay,” Harry sighed, unhappy that she’d apparently seen him have a panic attack. “And?”

“Well, no one blames you, Harry, but… well, you hit your head and passed out, and your magic got… defensive.”

“What do you mean?” he asked with a sharp frown. Godric set a hand on his shoulder.

“Just that your magic thought you were in danger, and it tried to protect you.”

Harry stared at the duck. “Where is Ron?”

“Er-,”

“He is not!” The boy denied, staring harder at the small animal, horror filling his eyes. Salazar cleared his throat. 

“He will be fine,” the man assured him. “We just didn’t want to turn him back while you were unconscious, in case of any… unexpected surprises. It should be fine now.”

They all stood back to watch as Godric transfigured their redhead friend back to his usual self. Ron stared at them all in disbelief for a minute. “ _ What the bloody hell was that _ ?”

“Language,” Hermione and Rowena scolded together. They both looked somewhat surprised, but shared a smile as Ron blushed.

“Sorry, mate,” Harry said sheepishly. “Didn’t mean to.”

“No one could say you did,” Salazar chuckled. “You’ll need to get used to the extra power you now have access to. You’ve been learning to use only half of the power you possess. It will take some time and hard work, but you will be fine.”

“And this won’t happen again?” Harry asked him.

“Not if you truly work as hard as you can on your control and your magic,” Helga promised. The boy nodded in relief, and his best friend patted his back awkwardly.

“It’s fine, mate,” Ron said. “Wasn’t your fault.”

“Thanks,” Harry smiled hesitantly, but seemed to truly accept the words. 

“So,” Hermione said, turning to the Founders. “What’s next?”

* * *


	3. Chapter 3

“ _ Stupefy _ !” Harry yelled. He watched the spell hit its mark and saw Ron go down, and then summoned his wand. Godric grinned proudly at him as Helga revived his friend. 

“Wonderful! Your reflexes are amazingly fast!” 

“Wish I’d been faster,” Ron muttered bitterly. Hermione sighed and patted him on the shoulder.

“You’ve not had as much practical application as Harry,” she explained quietly. “Remember, he had to duel Voldemort. If he wasn’t this fast, he could’ve died. You haven’t had the need to be faster than you are yet.”

“Until now,” Ron corrected. 

“Why don’t we see Harry and Hermione now?” Salazar suggested. Rowena nodded her agreement, and the two children moved silently into position. Godric gave the signal, and they started throwing spells. 

“ _ Expelliarmus _ !”

“ _ Protego _ !”

“ _ Levicorpus _ !”

“ _ Rectumsempra _ !”

“ _ Impedimentia _ !”

“ _ Wingardium Leviosa _ !” 

“ _ Protego _ !” 

There was a slight pause as Harry held the shield before he decided his final attacks.

“ _Stupefy_! _Levicorpus_! _Diffindo_! _Silencio_! _Expecto_ _Patronum_!” Harry gasped, sweating as he dodged her attacks while firing. He sent his Patronus flying after Hermione, who was so surprised that she hesitated, at which point Harry finally managed to disarm her.

The room was very quiet for a long time, and Harry just focused on catching his breath. The last attack had taken a lot out of him, especially with his magic acting so odd, and he was getting tired. A few minutes later, he finally noticed the deafening silence and looked up at his friends, who were now standing with the amazed founders.

“What?”

“When did you learn to cast like that?” Hermione breathed. “We’re not supposed to learn how to cast multiple spells at once until next year!”

“Really?” Harry blinked. “It just seemed logical. You could predict one spell or another, but not a string of them.”

“And the Patronus?” Ron asked, looking somewhat amused. 

“Yeah… I was getting desperate,” Harry admitted with a sheepish shrug. 

“That’s what that was?” Rowena asked, awe coloring her voice. “A Patronus?”

“Er- Hermione?”

The girl winced. “The stories said that they found old records of a spell to hold off the dementors. They found the Patronus, but…”

“It was you,” Godric finished for her. “But what is that spell exactly?”

“It’s pure happiness and Light,” Harry said quietly. “It drives away the Dementors- er, Hermione?”

“Yes, they know what Dementors are,” she told him.

“You found a way to fight Dementors?” Salazar asked with wide eyes. Harry shrugged.

“They were here in our third year, and I kept passing out, so I asked our teacher to help me learn the spell.”

“That is amazing,” Salazar told him with a kind smile and making a mental note to ask about his third year.

“Would you teach us?” Helga asked softly. Harry hesitated, frowning.

“Do you have a boggart?”

* * *

“I don’t know if this is a good idea,” Hermione sighed. The founders had found whatever they needed in the duels they’d had, and had decided to practice the charm sooner rather than later. “They’re supposed to learn about it on their own.”

“And you said this mob mental thing made everyone think Slytherin was evil,” Ron pointed out. “Obviously, history isn’t completely accurate.”

“Mob mentality, Ronald,” she corrected. Harry shook his head and tuned them out, falling to the back of the group. They had, by good chance, recently found a boggart, but they’d not had the time yet to dispose of it, so they were heading to the dungeons to find it.

“Harry,” a voice muttered. Harry jumped, turning to find Salazar directly behind him. He hadn’t even noticed the man and wasn’t actually sure if he had been lagging behind everyone before or had come to find him. He shook himself of the thoughts and raised an eyebrow. “We have decided that it would be best if I were the one to…”

“Adopt me?” Harry asked. He kept his voice carefully even, making sure he didn’t reveal any of his extremely confused emotions.

“Yes.”

“I had a conversation like this once,” Harry told Salazar. “Two years ago. My godfather, Sirius. I get why it hasn’t happened and I don’t… I don’t blame him at all. But I’m still with the Dursleys.” Harry frowned at the man walking by his side. “I still don’t have a father.” 

“I am not your godfather, Harry,” Salazar’s voice was quiet and gentle. He wasn’t sure what it was, but he knew there was something extremely important about the boy and about adopting him. So, he gathered all of the fatherly instincts he’d buried long ago and tried to show Harry how serious he was. “Only once in my life have I made a promise that I broke, and I refuse to do that again.”

Harry tilted his head curiously. “What are you promising?”

Salazar thought about it for a long minute. “A safe place to learn and good people to help you. You may even consider them family if you let yourself – you may consider myself family. I am promising to keep you safe to the best of my abilities. I promise that when you return home, you will be better fit to avenge your parents’ deaths. I promise to teach you how to win a battle with more than just a wand. And most of all, I promise to give you a place to go when you need to talk and when no one else seems to understand.”

They’d stopped walking by the end, and Harry just stared at him for a long while. He knew it was a lot to promise, but he also knew that he could keep it, and that his friends would help him. “Alright.”

Salazar blinked. “Alright.”

“Yeah.”

“Okay then. We will talk about this when we finish with the boggart?” Harry winced at the reminder of what they were doing, but Salazar nodded and began walking again.

When they reached the closet in the dungeons, they found everyone waiting outside. Hermione and Ron were bickering still, and the three Founders were watching in amusement as Hermione explained something simple and Ron continued to try and convince her that he was right. Harry rolled his eyes at the pair. “Guys.” Nothing. “Guys.” Still nothing. With a resigned sigh, Harry smacked their arms. The pair turned to glare at him but said nothing.

“So, you still haven’t explained why we need a Boggart,” Godric said, looking like he just wanted to cut the tension. 

“Oh yeah,” Harry blinked. “It’s because my Boggart is a Dementor. It’s how Lupin taught me the spell,” he explained. The Founders shared an unreadable look, but Salazar nodded slowly. 

“Why don’t you show us once more so we can really get a good look at it?”

“Sure,” Harry shrugged, pulling out his wand. He waved it through the air and muttered the spell, smiling happily as Prongs jumped out of his wand. 

“He’s beautiful,” Rowena commented. Harry grinned.

“It’s my dad – he was an animagus. Lupin said that Prongs looks exactly like him.”

“Prongs?” Godric asked. 

“It was my dad’s nickname, and it’s what I’ve named my Patronus,” the raven-haired teenager explained. 

“Well, there’s no time like the present,” Helga said. They all filed into the room, and Harry pushed to the front of the group, standing in front of the small cupboard. “And you know the spell?”

“Yes,” Hermione shrugged. “We learned it in third year –  _ Riddikulus _ .”

“Alright. If you’re ready…” with a firm nod, Ron opened the door. Hermione stood on the other side, and Harry was directly in front of it. Behind him were the Founders, all ready to fight the faux Dementor when their turn came. Harry took a deep breath as the familiar sense of existential dread filled him. All the negative feelings he’d been feeling surfaced, and he felt sick. Before he could zone out, Salazar placed a hand on his shoulder, grounding him. He took a deep breath, thinking of his parents’ voices and Sirius and Lupin and his loyal friends.

“Expecto Patronum!” 

Prongs burst from the tip of his wand and pushed back the Dementor, shoving it back into the dark and dirty cupboard. He let out a sigh of relief when his friends pushed the door closed. “Got it?” He asked. He forced himself into teaching mode – the one he used with the DA students.

“I believe so,” Salazar said. The others nodded their agreement, and Hermione and Ron opened the door. Harry pressed against his instinct to raise his wand, instead letting the Founders take the lead. He was teaching them, he reminded himself. But it was terrifying, he admitted, to let adults protect him, even if it was just from a boggart. They’d never done very well at it before, and he was too wary of them to relax completely. But he would soon realize there was no need to worry.

“Expecto Patronum!” The four said together. 

From Helga’s wand, a dog jumped out, sniffing around curiously. Her grin was filled with pure happiness. 

From Rowena’s wand, a Peregrine falcon flew away, circling the room quickly and watching each of them.

From Godric’s wand, a tiger leapt, ready to act and defend.

From Salazar’s wand, a black rattlesnake slithered away, coming to a stop in front of… Harry. 

It took everyone a moment to recover before Harry remembered. “You have to will them to do what you need – in this case, getting rid of the boggart.”

The boggart, though, seemed to not like what was happening. The presence of so many powerful Patroni was obviously taking a toll on the fake creature, and it was leaning back toward the cupboard already. The Founders nodded and soon all of their animals had forced the boggart-Dementor to fall back, at which point, Ron closed and locked the cupboard.

“Wow.”

“Yeah.”

The Founders studied their animals carefully, and everyone was somewhat surprised when the rattlesnake – which Harry assumed was female – came to a stop in front of Harry. The teenager got to his knees and bit his cheek, giving Hermione a Look. She nodded very slightly, and he sighed. 

“ _ Hello _ ,” he said in Parsletongue. The shock around the room was more than obvious.

“ _ Hello, Young Speaker _ ,” the rattlesnake replied. 

“ _ Would you mind if I ask you a question _ ?” He wondered. The snake dipped her head and he hesitated, wondering if he really wanted to know. He decided that yes, he did, and asked. “ _ Why did you come to sit by me _ ?”

“ _ Because _ ,” the snake started slowly. “ _ We must protect our Young _ .”

“Your- what?” Harry blinked, not realizing he spoke in English. Godric set a hand on his shoulder, and he turned in surprise.

“Harry, you speak Parseltongue?” Godric asked calmly. 

“Well, yes, but Dumbledore thought that it was because I have a connection to Voldemort.”

“And have we not established that the man likely does not truly know the language?” Salazar asked with a raised eyebrow. Harry frowned.

“Then how did he tell Tessa what to do?” he asked. Salazar shrugged.

“It is not impossible to learn – just unlikely. And we’ve also established that Voldemort is not my heir, so what does that leave us with?” The Founder watched as Harry slowly worked it out and then whirled around to look at the witch behind him.

“It’s possible,” she said slowly. “that your mum came from a line of squibs that were, in some way, related to him.”

“I do have a niece,” Salazar told him hesitantly. Harry blinked up at him.

“It would explain why you two look so similar,” Rowena murmured thoughtfully. “It would actually make a great deal of sense.”

Harry sighed. It had already been a long day and it wasn’t even two in the afternoon.

* * *

Hermione slipped away from the group a half hour later to get some fresh air. The Dementors had always affected her badly, though not nearly as bad as Harry. She was shivering by the time she got outside and made it to her tree by the lake, so she cast a Warming Charm and sat down. 

They were stuck eight hundred years into the past with only each other, the Founders, and Hermione’s beaded bag, which admittedly held a lot of their important belongings – a precaution they thought up when Umbridge came to the school. The bag would also only open for the three of them and Ginny, Luna, and Neville. It had been a suggestion from Sirius to have the thing in the first place over Christmas break and he’d helped her find some of the things like potions or even given her books from his library. 

Hermione sighed and pulled the bag from her pocket, opening it to take inventory. 

Invisibility Cloak – check

Marauder’s Map – check

Dittany – check

Muggle clothes – check

Robes – check 

Polyjuice potion (six doses, minus hairs) – check

Shrunken food and water – check

Books – check

Calming Draught – check

Dreamless Sleep – check

Hermione had just grabbed the Murtlap essence for when Umbridge used her blood quill when a crack sounded behind her, making her jump and knock over the items piled beside her. She groaned inwardly and looked up in confusion. “Professor Gryffindor?” 

“I am sorry for startling you,” he told her, smiling slightly. He knelt to help her with her scattered things as she waved off his apology.

“It’s fine,” she promised, placing the Map in the bag again. She trusted all of the Founders – even Slytherin, to her surprise – but the Map was Harry’s secret, and she wasn’t willing to let it be revealed.

“What is all of this?” He asked curiously. She shrugged slightly, gathering the potions next and placing them carefully in their place in her bag.

“Umbridge – our DADA teacher in our time – is… we just thought it would be best to gather some things, just in case, so I charmed my bag and carry around some things we would need if we ever had to leave home,” she explained, carefully avoiding the reason why they might need to leave. He seemed to understand, though, if the dark look on his face said anything.

“There’s a lot of things here, Hermione,” he sighed. “Food, clothing, potions, books. What could scare you enough to need all this?” 

“Uh-,”

“Is that my cloak?” Godric asked, blinking down at Harry’s Invisibility Cloak. Hermione’s jaw dropped slightly as she stared at him.

“Your cloak? You owned- er, own this?”

“Well, yes,” he shrugged. “It was my great grandfather- oh.”

“And now it belongs to Harry,” Hermione’s eyes lit up. “It was passed to him from his father, and his grandfather, and his great grandfather and so on.”

“So, he really is my descendent?” Godric asked in awe. The possibility had been there, but he hadn’t truly thought about it.

“I think he’s yours  _ and _ Professor Slytherin’s,” she said excitedly. “This is amazing!”

“It’s…” the man trailed off, his thoughts gaining his attention. Hermione hesitated but decided to just finish putting her things away. By the time she was finished, Godric had managed to shake himself and offered her a hand. She took it and he helped her up. “I came to see if you were alright – you disappeared.”

She gave him a small smile. “I’m fine. I was just a little overwhelmed. I guess I needed a moment.”

“Understandable,” he smiled back, kindness evident in his eyes. “Would you like to talk about it?”

She paused, considering that offer. She did want to talk, but she wasn’t sure how much she could say. “When I first got my books when I learned I was a witch, I read through  _ Hogwarts: A History _ as many times as I could. It was where I first learned about all of you. 

“I read that Ravenclaw House was where the wise went – where knowledge was almost more important than any currency. I loved that idea. Then I read that Hufflepuff House was where the kind and loyal went – where everyone was included and friendly. I wanted to go there because…. Well, I’d never had a friend before, and I thought that maybe, just maybe, I could make a friend there. And then I read that Slytherin House was where the cunning went – where people used their knowledge to do what they needed and that they made true friends there.

“But then I read about Gryffindor House. Where the brave went, with daring hearts. I thought to myself, I am nothing like that. I am not brave. I loved the idea of your House, Professor, but I just didn’t think I would go there. I was never brave or daring.

“And then I was Sorted. I was so surprised and slightly disappointed. I just didn’t understand it. But I kept quiet. The first month of school was awful. I was bullied, to be honest. Everyone thought I was an obnoxious know it all – even our potions teacher called me that. And then on Halloween, or All Hallow’s Eve, Ron made fun of me. I ran off crying into the bathroom and stayed there through the feast. 

“A troll showed up. I hid in the stalls, but Harry and Ron came to save me. We became best friends after that – it’s kinda hard not to, when you fight a troll together. And I found out something interesting about myself that year.

“I am a smart person. I am a loyal person. I am a cunning person. But more than that, when I have a reason to be, I am so very brave. Harry and Ron are my reason to be brave, Professor. So, us being here, being here with you guys, it’s overwhelming, but we’ll be fine because we have each other.  _ I’ll _ be fine because I have them.” 

Godric listened quietly the entire time she spoke. When she finished, he smiled softly at her, a proud look in his eyes. “I am very proud to have you in my House, Hermione. And remember – you now have us, too.”

“Thank you, sir,” she dropped her bag across her body and sighed, feeling much better than before.

“It is no problem. Now, why don’t we head inside? Our friends are probably getting worried.”

“Of course,” she said, eyes wide. She hadn’t even considered how long they might have been out there. “And thank you for finding me. I think it was just what I needed.”

“Anytime,” he told her, before pausing. “And I mean that. If you ever need to talk…”

“I’ll keep it in mind,” she promised. He nodded, satisfied, and they walked back to the castle together quietly, each considering their conversation.

* * *

“Harry is a good teacher,” Rowena commented. 

“It is because he has been teaching his friends Defense,” Salazar commented idly. Helga raised an eyebrow and the man shrugged. “They have, as usual, an abysmal teacher, so Harry began teaching his friends and classmates.”

“Their teacher was so awful that Harry had to teach for her?” Helga asked, horrified and shocked. Godric frowned.

“Hermione mentioned that she packed and always carried an emergency bag around in case they had to leave in a hurry,” he told his friends. “She had a lot of things. Potions, clothing, food, books.”

“Are things really that bad in the future?” Helga asked, wide eyed. “For children to fear their teacher so much…”

“To fear a teacher at all,” Godric corrected quietly. 

“It is awful,” Salazar agreed, grim. “But what can we do about it other than teach them?”

“I do not know yet,” Rowena said, a gleam in her eye that would make any sensible person pause. “But we will find something.”

“I agree,” Godric said. “They need help. We will give it to them.”

“Agreed,” Helga nodded firmly. 

“Alright,” Salazar sighed. “I will see what I can find. Rowena?”

“I will go to my library once they are settled. We will find some way to help them more. We must.”

* * *


	4. Chapter 4

“We’ll be talking about your educations now,” Rowena announced. 

“Finally,” Hermione muttered with a happy smile. Ron rolled his eyes, but Harry couldn’t help but agree with her.

“We have assessed your dueling skills, and decided that each of us will take one of you to work one on one, and when we decide you learned what you can, we will switch. Understand?”

“There’s three of us,” Harry pointed out. Helga gave them a smile. 

“I will be sitting in on each of your lessons to help out and, if necessary, heal any injuries,” she explained. “I will be with Rowena first.”

“Hermione,” Rowena called. “You will be working with me.”

“Ron, you’re with me,” Godric grinned. 

“Harry,” Salazar said, nodding once. Harry gave him a small smile and returned the nod. 

“Once you’ve all learned from us,” Rowena said, gaining their attention once more. “we will begin working on your healing.”

“Healing?” Ron frowned. 

“Do you not have the class in your time?” Helga wondered, blinking at him. He shook his head and her jaw tightened. “It is an important thing to learn, especially if you are learning to duel!” Salazar took her hand quietly, calming her quickly, though she still looked dangerous. 

“It is alright,” he told her gently. “We will teach them.”

“Yes,” Rowena said with a frown. “And after healing, we will begin Warding, and then transfiguration, and then charms, and so on and so forth.”

“You’ve really thought this out,” Hermione said with a happy smile. Rowena nodded.

“We thought it important to work it out quickly, and work in order of what is most crucial.”

“Which is why we are dueling first and then healing, and so on,” Hermione surmised, nodding in approval. 

“Exactly,” Rowena smiled brightly. “So, why don’t we get started? We’ve got plenty to work on.”

* * *

Ron stared at his wand in frustration while Godric went to get them both water. “I don’t understand why I can’t do it.”

“You are letting yourself get frustrated before you can properly focus,” Godric told him gently. “Your strategy is sound, but your spellwork is shaky in this state of mind.”

“What do you mean?” Ron frowned, uncomfortable with the criticism. He listened despite that because  _ Godric Gryffindor _ was trying to help him, so he just shifted a little in frustration. 

“Ron, what do you think of yourself in regards to your friends?” His new mentor asked. Ron shrugged a little, looking down. 

“Hermione’s really smart, and Harry’s really strong and talented and powerful,” he said shortly. Godric sighed and waved at the bench, and the pair sat down.

“Their talents do not disqualify your own,” Godric told him, serious as ever. “Just because Harry can duel does not mean that you cannot strategize. Just because Hermione is well read does not mean that you are not more knowledgeable in other areas.”

Ron gave him a long, confused look. “What’re you trying to say?”

“I am trying to tell you to not compare yourself to your friends. It’ll only make you see things that they do not and you will never grow if that happens.”

“What do you mean, I won’t grow?”

Godric shrugged lightly. “I only mean that your focus must be on making yourself better, not wondering if you are a hindrance to your friends. They value your friendship more than you know, trust me.”

“But how do you know?” The redhead asked. He looked like he desperately wanted to believe his Godric but couldn’t bring himself to do so.

“Because,” the man sighed, meeting Ron’s gaze. “I was in your place many years ago. I learned that to doubt yourself is, to an extent, doubting your friends, and when you doubt them… that is when people get hurt. You must trust yourself and trust that you are as valuable as they see you… which is invaluable.”

“I’m… I’m the sixth kid and even Ginny gets more attention than I do because she’s a girl and the youngest. Every achievement I reach, my brothers have already done. And now I’m the Boy-Who-Lived’s geeky sidekick, and still no one pays attention,” Ron looked at his feet, ashamed of his feelings. “It’s hard not to notice when they do something that I can’t.”

“Jealousy is understandable in a situation like that, but do not let it overcome you. When it comes to your friends, remember that you have a lot that they do not. Hermione grew up with muggles and knows significantly less than you do about this world. Harry… he lost his parents at a young age, and I would wager he’d do anything for a family like yours. Keep in mind that, even though some aspects of your life are not ideal, you are still so very lucky.

“But for your family… being ignored is never ideal, and I know it must be hard in such a large family. So, if you get ignored by your parents, I suggest you go to your brothers and tell them instead. I’ve got a feeling they’d love to hear from you, and they would love to hear about your life,” the man promised, winking at him. Ron blinked.

“How do you know?”

“Oh, just a feeling.” Ron watched him for a long minute before nodding. 

“I’ll think about it.”

“Wonderful! Now, how about another try? I think it’ll go much better this time.”

“Sure,” Ron nodded, and they started working again – this time with much more success.

* * *

“Harry,” Salazar called. Harry blinked and lowered his wand.

“Sorry. I was… distracted,” he pocketed his wand quietly. 

“You were in another time,” Salazar nodded. “It is fine. What were you thinking of?”

Harry hesitated but sighed and sat down. “My friends. My godfather. I just… what if I never see them again?”

“You will,” Salazar promised, confident in the fact. “We will find a way.”

“But Time-Turners aren’t invented for…” the boy frowned and blinked. “Well, I don’t know, but not this soon.”

“We can defy history without rewriting it, Harry.”

Harry blinked at him. “I- I suppose you’re right.”

“What is your godfather like?” Salazar asked suddenly. Harry frowned and shrugged lightly.

“He’s funny. He has a really big heart. I know he’s protective. He’s a dog… literally,” Harry smirked a bit. “His animagus form is a dog. Ron says he looks like a Grim-,”

That stopped Salazar cold, and he pinned Harry with a look the boy couldn’t decipher. “Are you sure?”

“Er- kinda? It’s just what Ron said.”

“I see.” Harry shifted, uncomfortable under his gaze. Salazar sighed, his eyes softening. “I do not mean to worry you, Harry. It very well may be nothing, but I never ignore a coincidence.”

Harry looked at him for a long moment before sighing. “Professor McGonagall said that Trelawney just likes to scare someone every year.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well… in my third year, we were doing tea leaves-,”

“Are you a Seer?”

“Er- no?”

“Then why…” Salazar resisted the urge to rub his forehead. “Never mind. Continue.”

“We were doing tea leaves, and Ron read mine…” Harry’s eyes widened a fraction as he remembered Ron’s prediction and compared it to his year. “Come to think of it, he read them correctly. But anyway, Trelawney took my cup and said that I had the Grim. Which was odd, because I’d seen the Grim a couple weeks earlier, but it turned out to just be Sirius… not that I knew that then. Thought I was gonna be mauled by a huge dog, honestly. And then… during Quidditch, I saw this weird shape in the sky during a storm, but I thought it was the Dementors.”

“Dementors?” Salazar asked, his eyes widening. “Why would you see them during Quidditch?”

“I, um… well, Sirius had escaped Azkaban, and they were positioned around the school. They weren’t supposed to come on the grounds, but they did, and…” he trailed off, groaning. “I’m not explaining this well.”

“Yes, well, we have some things to talk about,” Salazar told him firmly. “But let us get back to the Grim. How many times was it mentioned in relation to you or did you see it?”

“Uh…” Harry frowned, counting off times on his fingers. “The Knight Bus, the tea leaves, by Ron’s bed, the Shrieking Shack, and then just about every night we stayed at Grimmauld place after that, so… like ninety nights?”

Salazar cursed colorfully in Parseltongue – apparently forgetting Harry could understand him – and stood. “I must speak with Godric. We can pick this back up later.”

“Um,” Harry blinked at him. “Is everything okay?”

The Founder paused, turning to Harry. He set his hands firmly on the teenager’s shoulders and looked him directly in the eyes. “I will make sure it is. I promise.” He nodded sharply and removed his hands from Harry’s shoulders, apparating away – which only confused Harry more, since he was sure that wasn’t possible in Hogwarts.

* * *

“Godric,” Salazar said. His friend tensed slightly and Salazar heard him excuse himself. Ron went to the bench nearby for water, and Godric moved over.

“Didn’t I ask you to stop doing that? The rest of us don- Sal? What’s wrong?” Godric frowned at the grim look on Salazar’s face.

“Do you remember the prophecy you gave in the bar?”

“Of course,” Godric scoffed. “We panicked for weeks over it before deciding it would not come to pass for millennia.”

“Exactly.”

“What?” Godric frowned. “I do not- oh.” His eyes widened dramatically. “Oh.”

“Yes,” Salazar rubbed his head in frustration. “How many times was it seen?”

“’The dawn of a hundred’” Godric quoted.

“Ninety would be enough, then?” 

“I suppose,” his friend agreed. “What brought this to mind?”

“Harry,” Salazar answered with a short sigh. “His godfather’s animagus form is the Grim.”

“Are you sure?”

“There is one way to be sure,” Salazar ran his fingers through his hair. “Ron?”

“Yes, sir?” Ron answered from across the room, looking up. 

“Harry’s godfather, is his animagus form the Grim?” Salazar asked. His hope that he was wrong was destroyed with the light shrug the redhead gave him.

“Yeah. Gave me a right fright at first, but he’s fine.”

Both Founders were silent for a few long minutes as they collected their thoughts. They shared a look and Godric nodded. “Ron, something has come up. We will resume our lessons once we speak with Helga and Rowena.”

“Okay…” Ron said slowly. 

“You may go find Harry. He is in the courtyard by the path to the lake,” Salazar informed him. Ron gave him a sharp nod and made is way quickly from the room. When he was gone, Salazar turned back to his old friend. “Where are they?”

“Transfiguration room,” Godric answered. With a curt nod, both men turned their feet and disapparated from the room.

* * *

“Wonderful!” Rowena grinned. Hermione returned the desk to its previous position and stood. “What made you think of that?”

“Well,” the young genius said slowly. “Most would expect a shield. If I use a desk or a rock or something large and heavy enough to deflect a spell, I have both surprise and a free wand on my side.”

“Brilliant,” Ravenclaw nodded. “And no one taught you to do so?”

“Not yet,” Hermione shrugged. “I guess it’s like Harry with his Patronus – it just made sense… and I was getting a bit desperate. You are very quick.”

“We have to be,” Helga told her gently. “The four of us protect the settlement down the road together.”

“Hogsmeade has been attacked?” Hermione asked in shock. The women nodded grimly.

“It’s the muggles – they fear us, so they try to destroy us.”

Hermione gasped slightly, her hand flying to her mouth in horror. “The witch trials.”

“Yes. There are not so many anymore, and many fewer attacks on the village, as well,” Rowena told her before stiffening. Helga did as well a moment later, and the two shared a look. “I apologize, Hermione, but we must go.”

“Is everything alright?” Hermione frowned in confusion.

“I do not know,” Rowena replied truthfully. “Only that it is important.”

“Okay,” Hermione nodded, still confused. 

“You may find your friends or continue practicing,” Helga told her. “We will pick this up later.”

“I hope everything is alright,” Hermione sighed. 

“So do we,” Rowena gave her a small smile before the two women turned and disapparated to meet their friends in their office.

* * *

“Are you sure?” A pale Helga asked for the third time. Rowena rubbed her eyebrows, trying to work out an oncoming migraine.

“There is no way to be sure,” Godric commented, frustrated. “It was much too vague. I only remember what Salazar told me, and he only heard part of it.”

Salazar grimaced. If there was one thing he regretted most at the moment, it was that he hadn’t gotten there earlier. “I’d say we should track down the men that were in the room, but…”

“It is not possible, we understand,” Rowena said, waving him off. “Would you repeat it again?”

“’ _ Those from the future and past, _

_ From the farest reaches of the Sight, _

_ Arrive in need and desperation  _

_ To hide from the dawn of a hundred Grims _

_ The Lost will find kindred souls _

_ And those souls will destroy what is familiar, _

_ And rewrite future laws, _

_ Until the New World is born  _

_ And the New World will see destruction of killers past _ .’”

There was silence again as everyone mulled it over. It sounded like a full prophecy, but they knew it wasn’t. There had been more that they had missed at the end.

“I do not like it,” Helga said quietly. “They are only children.”

“None of us like it,” Salazar sighed. “But it is a prophecy. It comes when you least expect and appreciate it.”

“What will we do?” Rowena wondered. “We must help them.”

“I know. But how? There is only so much we can do from here,” Godric muttered. Salazar blinked at him. 

“You are not suggesting-,”

“I do not know,” his friend interrupted. “Let us work on training them and finding them a way back, and then we can consider it.”

“What of Helena?” Rowena asked quietly. “I know she is growing quick, but would she really do so well without me? Without us?”

“I do not know,” Salazar said quietly. “But we need not ponder that quite yet. Godric is correct. We must focus on their education and finding a means of returning them home before we think about accompanying them.”

“I suppose… And what of the prophecy? Should we tell them?” Rowena chewed on her bottom lip thoughtfully. 

“I think it would be best, yes,” Godric nodded. “They deserve to know. They are being forced to act like adults, so we should give them the courtesy of telling them when we discover something that pertains to them.”

“I agree,” Salazar said. “Harry does not trust adults, either. I believe that if we tell him, he may come to trust us quicker because we trusted him first.”

“I suppose…” Helga sighed. “Alright. Ro?”

The other woman just shrugged slightly. “It is alright with me. Just beware, when we begin telling them these sort of things, they will be most disagreeable when we try to keep something from them.”

“And we will cross that bridge when we get to it,” Godric decided, nodding. 

OoOoOoOoOoOo

“D’you think they’ll tell us?” Ron asked quietly. Hermione tilted her head, thinking about it.

“I don’t know, but I think so if it has to do with us.”

“I think it does,” Harry muttered. 

“Why?”

“Because Salazar was very interested when I mentioned the Grim.”

“Oh yeah,” Ron nodded. “He asked me if Padfoot really looked like the Grim.”

“You don’t think they believe in that nonsense, do you? The Grim?” Hermione frowned. 

“Not the Grim,” a voice said from behind them. The three jumped slightly, and the Founder chuckled softly. “I apologize for scaring you.”

“Yeah, I was wondering about that,” Hermione piped up, watching as the four founders made their way over. “I thought no one could Apparate within the school.”

“No one but us,” Helga corrected. “And your Headmaster should be able to, as well.”

“Really?” Hermione wondered, wide eyed. “That’s fascinating.” 

“We can discuss that more later,” Rowena promised. “But there is something we need to tell you first.”

The trio shared a look before Hermione nodded. “We were hoping. Is something wrong?”

“We are not sure,” Salazar shrugged. “But there is something you must be aware of.”

“I am a Seer,” Godric informed them. The three froze, and Harry frowned up at him. He had a bad feeling about whatever they were about to tell them. “About fifteen years ago, Salazar and I were travelling together and stopped at a bar for drinks.”

“It was his idea,” Salazar commented dryly. 

“Yes, well. We had a few drinks and… well, I began to give a prophecy, except…”

“Except he was drunk and began a bar fight, and I didn’t manage to hear all of it,” Salazar finished, repressing a sigh. It was never a story he could say he was proud to tell.

“But what he did hear of it seems to pertain to you three,” Rowena explained at the confused looks they were receiving. 

“Are you saying there’s a… prophecy about us?” Ron asked slowly. Salazar nodded, but Hermione gasped before they could continue. 

“Prophecy…” she whispered, reaching for her wand. “I knew there was something I was missing…”

“Hermione?” Ron asked, putting a hand on her wand arm, which had her wand currently directed at her head. “What’re you talking about?”

“Don’t you two remember?” She asked, suddenly exasperated and glaring at her friends. “When we were going through time, on the way back here, we saw something odd. I thought it was weird because Mr. and Mrs. Potter weren’t there, and neither were we. But… Harry, your birthday is at the end of July, yes?”

“Uh, yeah. July 31 st . Why-,”

“Because! Didn’t you hear it?!” 

“Hear what, Hermione?” Ron demanded, getting annoyed.

“There was a prophecy!” She declared, looking around at the stunned people surrounding her. “About Harry. That’s why we saw Professor Trelawney – that’s why we were there! She gave a prophecy about Harry!”

“I thought you don’t believe in them!” Ron huffed, staring at her in wonder. “You walked out of class!”

“Well…” she blushed and shrugged slightly. “I don’t, not really. But if Voldemort heard it and Voldemort believed it, then it would explain why he’s so serious about killing Harry and doing it himself!”

“I don’t understand,” Helga frowned. “Does the prophecy say something about Voldemort having to kill Harry himself?”

“Yes!” The girl agreed before pausing. “Well, sort of.”

“Sort of?”

“It’s… complicated,” she cringed at the word. It was what Dumbledore used to shut them up along with declaring something was for the “Greater Good.”

“Do you mind reciting it?” Godric asked gently. She hesitated, glancing at Harry, but nodded. She let her arm fall to her side and tucked her wand away again, apparently deciding against whatever she’d been planning to do. 

“ _ The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches… born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies… and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not… and either must die at the hands of the other for neither can live while the other survives… the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies… _ ”

There was silence for a long time when she finished as everyone processed the information they were given. The ever-tactful Ron broke it.

“Bloody hell.”

“Ronald,” Hermione snapped. “Language.”

“Sorry,” he said, glancing at the Founders. “But that’s… not great.”

“I… need some air,” Harry said quietly, standing. 

“We’re outside,” Ron blinked. Hermione shoved him lightly and looked back to Harry, but he was already gone, headed toward the forest where he knew the Thestrals resided. 

* * *

“I did not know they were here,” Salazar commented as he moved into the clearing. Harry didn’t even twitch at the noise. 

“They pull the carriages… in the future, I mean,” Harry murmured. “Me and my friend Luna, we’re the only ones that can see them.”

“It is not a horrible thing, to be able to see them. They are wonderful creatures. Death is not awful, Harry.”

“When you see a seventeen-year-old boy die, someone that was a friend… yes, death is awful. It is unfair and cruel and… not right.”

“I apologize,” Salazar nodded. “that your first experience had to be so wrong.”

“What was yours?” Harry questioned suddenly. He didn’t look up, still petting the gentle creature, but Salazar could tell he was desperate for a distraction. 

“It was not much better than yours, I am afraid,” the man replied quietly. He did not like to dwell on those memories. 

“What… what happened?”

Salazar sighed gently and leaned against a tree nearby. “I was about your age – maybe a little older. I had been taught what my mentor could teach and sent off into the world with very little money and very little success at finding a job. I found myself in a small, nameless town nearby. There was a man only a couple of years older than myself, but he was a great duelist. I managed to convince him to teach me to fight. 

“A couple of years later, Godric Gryffindor had become my best friend and the only family I had. We became partners, and dedicated ourselves to fighting for the innocent people. It was a short battle and there were very few wizards fighting, but someone hit my arm at the exact wrong moment, and my harmless hex had killed someone. 

“I watched them die. It was an accident and I could see in their eyes that they truly understood, but it was no less traumatizing. They did not have a chance to live the life destiny would have them live, and that is my fault.”

Harry frowned. “But someone else hit your arm. You didn’t mean to do it.”

“But it was my curse.”

“But it wasn’t your fault! It was a fight and people die.”

“I understand that now,” the man sighed. “But even you do not understand exactly what you are saying. When… if you ever kill someone, then you can come tell me that it was not my fault.”

“I… I killed Quirrell.”

“He was already dead,” Salazar waved off the idea. “The moment he agreed to give his body to Voldemort, he was dead. The body wouldn’t last with Voldemort in it, and he’d die the moment Voldemort left.”

“I- but no one told me that. I’ve thought for four years now that I killed someone, and  _ no one bothered to tell me that I didn’t _ ?”

Salazar didn’t answer that. If he was being honest, he was just as angry with the adults in Harry’s life as Harry was. They were so glaringly incompetent that it was almost funny. 

Almost. 

“We will help you understand this prophecy as well as we can,” the man promised. “We will not force you to carry this burden alone.”

Harry seemed to consider that for a moment. He gave a slight nod and a resigned sigh. “I have to kill him.” He paused. “I have to kill someone. A human being – a person.”

“Harry, I believe he gave up the rights to being a human and a person when he began killing people for sport and his twisted and idiotic, bigoted and racist agenda.”

“That doesn’t change the fact that he has to die and I’m the one that has to make that happen,” Harry countered bitterly. 

“Harry… our prophecy and yours suggests something very important.” The Founder looked up, gaining Harry’s complete attention. “It suggests that you will not be alone. That there will be someone to help you. I truly believe that that someone is us.”

“I don’t understand,” Harry said after a long minute. “Why are all of you are so serious about helping us? Why do you care so much?”

The pain in Salazar’s eyes was unmistakable, and the man looked away before Harry could question it. “Our students are our life, you must understand that. We do all that we can to make sure they do not live the lives we have, and it pains us to see that, even so far into the future, children are being called upon to do things that they should not have to. You are our student, so we will do all we must to protect and care for you.”

“Your Patronus sat in front of me,” Harry whispered. “She said she had to protect me.”

“You would like to know why.”

Harry nodded silently, staring at the Thestral as it played with an acorn. The creature was a baby, content with the strange people around it as long as it could play.

“I do not know. Magic is odd like that.”

“I read up a lot on snakes when I was twelve. That was a black female rattlesnake. They protect their young and that’s what she said she was doing.”

“Do you think I am being untruthful?” Salazar asked, raising an eyebrow in the way that made students turn away nervously. Harry held his gaze easily, mirroring his expression.

“Should I?”

They continued to stare at each other for another minute before Salazar broke and sighed softly. “I do not know, but I have a guess.”

“And?”

“I had a son once,” Salazar told him, choosing his words very carefully. “He was a lot like you – he took after his Uncle Godric. He was even Sorted into Godric’s House, which everyone thought was very funny.” The man rolled his eyes fondly, lost in the memory of the Hat yelling “Gryffindor” the moment it was placed on Alasdair’s head.

“What happened?” Harry prodded gently. 

“Godric and I were called to protect Hogsmeade one night, and he came with. Alasdair was a brave boy, he always was. I assume he took after his mother in that. I am too calculating and cunning to be so brave. But he followed us. I didn’t notice – I was too focused on the battle. He fought with us, and I knew it was too late to send him back.

“It turned out to be worse than we’d expected. There was a new Dark Lord on the rise, and he was getting bolder. He showed up in person, and he fought my son. Alasdair died, but not until he made sure that bastard died as well. He saved us all, but it wasn’t worth it in the end. He was just a boy.”

“I’m sorry,” it was barely a whisper, but Salazar could tell he meant it, and not in a pitying way, either. 

“It was many years ago. I had gotten over it.”

“But?”

“But you are so much like him. You act like him, you think like him, you even look like him – like me.”

“But… I’m from the future,” Harry frowned at him in confusion. 

“I know,” Salazar shrugged. “But you remind me of him, that is all.”

“I’m just Harry,” he said slowly. 

“And that is enough,” Salazar confirmed, nodding firmly. “I will not act as if you are my reborn son. You are your own person.”

“Thank you,” the teenager gave him a weak smile. “And… I bet you were a great father.”

Salazar stared at him for a long moment. “That is every father’s hope, Harry. To be what their child needs.”

Harry remained silent as he pondered that. If that was what a father was, Harry wondered if he had one at all. He never blamed James and Lily for dying, and he didn’t blame Sirius for being sent to Azkaban, but Sirius wasn’t ready to be a father, Harry knew as much. He understood, but it didn’t hurt any less. 

The pure sadness on Harry’s face made Salazar’s heart hurt. “Every child should have a father,” he said quietly. Harry blinked and frowned. “I am sorry you have been deprived of that.”

“Thank you,” Harry said softly before Salazar could speak again. He had a feeling there was more the man wanted to say, but he didn’t, so he just made his way toward the edge of the forest again with Salazar following, both quiet and deep in thought.

* * *

“Harry!” Hermione squealed, jumping up. Ron’s head turned quick as he looked for his best friend. Harry gave them a weak but genuine smile and joined them at the table. They were in the Great Hall for dinner, and all of them were glad for it – even the Founders. It had been an exceptionally long day, and all of them just wanted to rest. 

The Founders were seated at the same table as the trio, something that no one minded at all. Godric sat across from Ron, Helga across from Hermione, and Salazar across from Harry. Rowena has excused herself to retrieve someone for the meal. 

“I’m fine,” Harry promised his friends.

“Oh, Harry, are you sure? I know that was a lot to take in, but-,”

“’Mione, I’m fine. I promise. I just had some thinking to do.”

Hermione gave him a long look and nodded firmly. “We’ll be with you through all of it, Harry, we promise.”

“Thanks, guys,” he smiled lightly at them. 

“Mama?” A voice called. “Who’re they?”

The three friends frowned and turned. Hermione gasped. They were staring at the Grey Lady, live and well and staring right back at them in complete confusion.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay. I'll be honest with you. I don't... really remember what my plans were with this prophecy. I wrote it back when I didn't take notes, so my sister and I have no clue what it was for. I'm sure I'll figure it out eventually, but I thought I'd give you a heads up.


	5. Chapter 5

Helena blinked at the elf in front of her. "Hello, Pinky."

"Hello, Missus! Mistress Ravenclaw was looking for you! It's dinnertime!" The elf squeaked excitedly. Helena blinked and looked down at her potion. She nodded a little at the happy creature.

"Thank you. Tell her I will meet her in the Hall."

"Yes, Missus!" The elf nodded vigorously and popped away, leaving Helena in her uncle's personal potions room. She had finally managed to convince him to let her brew in there the month before, so she had to be extra careful. Giving the cauldron another stir, she waved her wand at it, casting a stasis charm on it. She picked up her outer robes and dropped them on her shoulders, making her way out of the room.

It took barely five minutes to get to the Great Hall, and she heard her mother behind her, so she entered the room to sit next to her aunt before her mother could. It was a game they always played at mealtimes, something that had originally started as a way to get the both of them to the meals at all as they had a habit of spending hours upon hours studying or practicing potions, charms, or any other number of their favorite magical studies. 

She stopped short in the door upon seeing three very strange looking teenagers – all of them about her age, maybe a little younger. "Mama? Who're they?"

"Helena! That is rude," her mother scolded as she made her way over. The girl blushed lightly and dipped her head in apology. Hours of potion making tended to tear at her manners. "They are our guests. Come and I will introduce you."

They made their way into the room quietly. The three were whispering to each other excitedly – or the girl was whispering to her friends excitedly, and they were listening. Curious, Helena used her animagus hearing to listen in.

"-Grey Lady!"

"Who?" the redhead asked dumbly. Helena could practically feel the girl roll her eyes.

"The Ravenclaw House ghost! She's rarely seen except at feasts. Apparently, she's Professor Ravenclaw's daughter. She doesn't like talking to people usually. There's a story about the Bloody Baron-,"

"That's an awful name-,"

"Like Nearly Headless Nick is any better?" the raven-haired boy snorted. The girl narrowed her eyes.

"He liked to be called Sir-,"

"Sir Nicholas, I know, Mione," the boy laughed. "She's coming over, shush."

The whispers stopped as she neared, and she got an uneasy feeling. Her mother and her friends often had odd things going on, but there was something wrong with these three. She'd never seen them before, but they spoke as if they knew the school well, and she knew all of the students. She shook herself and put on a smile, giving them a small curtsey.

"Hello," she said softly. "I am Helena Ravenclaw."

"Hello," the girl grinned. "Lovely to meet you. I'm Hermione Granger.”

"Harry Potter," the boy said, watching her warily. She nodded at him and turned to the redhead, though she saw an odd look of relief on the boy's face.

"Ron Weasley," the redhead said, smiling. He had a nice smile, one that made her feel nice the way her uncle's did.

Her mother stepped behind her and put a hand on her back. "Helena, they are our guests. They will be learning from us this summer and through school, if they stay."

The girl hesitated but tapped her wand slightly. She felt her mother accept the link and pushed her relief away as it opened.  _ "What is wrong with them?" _ she thought.

" _ That is not for me to discuss with you, _ " her mother chided.

" _ Are they in danger? _ " Her family often took in those in danger and helped them until it was safe. The hesitation in the response told her all she needed to know.

" _ Not yet, but they will be. We wish to help them learn to defend themselves. _ "

" _ Why not just help get rid of the danger? _ " She asked curiously. That was what often happened, and it was odd for them to just teach them and send them out.

" _ It is, regrettably, not a choice this time. Now come, we've been silent for some time. _ "

Helena sighed inwardly and nodded, pushing her wand back in its holster and smiling brightly at the mysterious kids in front of her. She sat next to Salazar and made her plate.

"Helena, did you remember-," Salazar started, but she rolled her eyes and cut him off.

"Yes, Uncle. I put away all the ingredients and put up a stasis charm," she promised. "I told you I would be very careful."

"Good girl," he nodded. "I don't want my lab to blow up."

"But you do that all the time," she frowned. He chuckled lightly.

"But I do it in a safe way. I'm never hurt. You might mix monkshood with newt eyes and…" he trailed off, shaking his head. She frowned at him.

"I know better than that."

"It was only an example, Poof," he laughed. "You know what I mean, yes?"

"Yes," she said, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. From there, the conversation devolved into uses of aconite. The strange visitors traded a look and stayed out of the conversation, and Helena recognized the sight of information being withheld.

"Can I ask you a question?" the girl – Hermione, she reminded herself – asked. Helena nodded, pushing a polite smile onto her face. "What was that strange silence and look between you and your mom- er, mother?"

"Oh!" Helena gasped. "I am so sorry. I sometimes forget that not everyone knows."

"It's fine," Hermione assured her, a kind smile on her face. Helena found herself liking the girl, however uneasy she was about the trio.

"We found an old sort of magic. You know soul magic?"

Hermione nodded before hesitating. "I've not done as much research as I would like, considering…" she paused and glanced slightly at the black haired boy – Harry – before moving on and making Helena even more interested in the three of them. "But I understand the general idea and how it works, for the most part.”

"Well, it's sort of like that. Mama wanted a way for me to contact her if she was away and I was in danger."

Hermione blinked. "Have you actually had to use it before?" Helena hesitated but nodded.

"There was one time… I was out of the castle, just in Hogsmeade, but I had taken the students there for the day. We were attacked…" she paused, biting her lip. "It was not a pleasant experience, but the link saved my life."

"How does it work?" Helena recognized the familiar hunger for information in the girl's eyes that she often saw in her mother's eyes. She smiled softly.

"You would have to ask Uncle Salazar. Mama didn't want to know, aside from ensuring it was not dark magic."

"Why?" Hermione frowned in confusion.

"Because it is a long process that she does not believe should be shared with the masses," Helena shrugged. "Imagine your enemies being able to speak silently to one another across any distance and at any time."

Hermione shivered. It seemed the idea truly terrified her. The girl nodded quietly. "I can understand that." She shook herself and turned to ask another question. "So, is it just you and your mother that have this… connection?"

Helena shook her head. "Mama's friends have it as well, which means I have it with them, too."

"That is fascinating," Hermione muttered. She looked down at her food and her mouth began moving, but no words came out. Helena covered a smile with her hand. It seemed the girl was a little version of her mother. She was shocked out of her thoughts as she heard her Uncle talking.

"-Dementors in your third year?" Salazar asked, his eyes narrowed. Harry looked slightly sheepish and stared at his food as if begging it to intervene.

"Uh, yeah, well, you see…" he muttered. Salazar was not impressed.

"Harry."

"Yeah?"

"Explain please."

Harry coughed and looked at his friends. Hermione was still muttering to herself, and Ron just shrugged at him. "There's a little more to it than just Dementors…"

"Your godfather," Salazar nodded. Harry looked at him in surprise, and the man scoffed. "I do pay attention to your ramblings, Harry."

"Right, well… should we be talking about this here? I mean… it is dinner," he winced at the lame excuse. Helena watched her uncle lean over and whisper something to the boy and the boy shook his head, replying. They continued for another minute before Salazar sat up and looked his niece in the eye.

"Helena, I believe we should explain some things to you."

* * *

Hermione had zoned back into the conversation when they finished explaining the situation to Helena, who looked both overwhelmed and extremely intrigued. Salazar, however, had not lost sight of his point. He pinned Harry with a hard look, who sighed and leaned back in his seat.

"In school, my dad had a group of friends called the Marauders," he explained. All of the founders were listening intently, and his friends were paying almost as much attention. "There was my dad, James Potter, and his friends, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and…" Hermione gave him a comforting smile which he was very thankful for. "Peter Pettigrew."

"Bloody rat," Ron shivered.

"Ronald," Rowena scolded, but Hermione shook her head.

"He's being quite literal, except for the bloo- you know what I mean. The Marauders were animagi, except for Lupin."

"Lupin is a werewolf," Harry explained. "So my dad, Sirius, and Peter became animagi to be with him on the full moon."

"That was very kind of them," Helena commented.

"Yeah. So anyway, my parents went into hiding – now we know that they did that because of the prophecy – but Dumbledore was certain there was a spy in the Order. Sirius was appointed Secret Keeper-,"

"Secret Keeper?" Godric frowned. "Are you talking about a  _ Fidelius _ ?"

Harry nodded slowly. "They went to a cottage and lived there. Sirius was Secret Keeper, but they decided that was too obvious. He was my dad's best mate, more than Lupin and much more than Pettigrew. So, they changed Secret Keepers. Without telling anyone."

"Not even Dumbledore?" Helga asked. Harry shook his head with a frown.

"Peter took Sirius's place, but…"

"He was the spy?" Salazar guessed. Harry grimaced and nodded.

"He told Voldemort where they were. Halloween 1981, they went after my parents – after me. Sirius went to visit Pettigrew, who wasn't supposed to leave his heavily warded home, and found him missing, so he knew it was Pettigrew. He came to check on us, but it was already done. He gave me to Hagrid and went after Pettigrew. He was an auror, so he found him pretty easily.

"He cornered him in the street and was about to curse him, but Pettigrew framed him. Yelled at him, asking how he could kill my parents, and then blew up the street, cut off a finger, and turned into his animagus form."

"And then he spent twelve years posing as my rat," Ron added, shivering at the memory. "He slept in my bed."

Hermione patted Ron's arm awkwardly as Salazar frowned. "That's why Sirius was in prison?"

"Yeah," Harry sighed. "He broke out before my third year after he saw a picture of Ron with Pettigrew – Wormtail, we call him."

"Everyone thought he broke out to kill Harry," Hermione added sadly.

"Yeah," Harry snorted bitterly. "Including us."

"Y'know how my dad told you, before the year started, to…  _ not _ go looking for Sirius?" Ron asked, sounding slightly amused. Harry flushed a bit.

"Am I that predictable?"

"You did go looking for the Stone," Hermione told him with a shrug.

"And the Chamber," Ron nodded.

"Hey!" Harry protested. "I was hearing someone whispering in the walls. You would go looking for it too if you could hear her."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night," Ron snickered at the look on his friend's face. Salazar cleared his throat and raised an eyebrow at the trio. Harry nodded and focused again on the story.

"Anyway, that year was the first I'd heard of Sirius at all," he sighed. "But the Ministry, bloody helpful people they are, decided to place Dementors around the school. Not on the grounds, mind you-,"

"Like they cared," Ron muttered, thinking of the Quidditch incident. Harry ignored him.

"But they were there in case he showed up."

"If they weren't in the school grounds," Godric said slowly. "Then why did you have to learn the Patronus?"

"Er- right. Well… see, the first time I encountered them, they were searching the train. I… didn't react well."

"You passed out!" Hermione huffed. "That's worse than 'didn't react well.'"

"Yeah… maybe," he shrugged. "Lupin sent away the dementors and gave me chocolate."

"And?" Salazar asked. He knew there had to be more.

"Well… they did interrupt a Quidditch match."

"What happened?" Helena asked curiously.

"It was kinda rainy-,"

"Large thunderstorm," Hermione corrected.

"-and I was chasing the snitch. It was flying up, and Cedric," his voiced cracked slightly, but he pushed on, "was right behind me. When I got too high, the Dementors caught me. They started… I think they were trying to give me the Kiss? I'm not sure. I fell off my broom, and Dumbledore used some spell-,"

" _ Arresto Momentum _ ," Hermione informed them.

"-and caught me. After that, I woke up in the infirmary. That's when I convinced Lupin to teach me the spell."

"I see," Salazar said. He didn't sound happy. The trio shared a long look, and after a few quiet minutes, Harry sighed.

"There's more."

"I guessed as much," Salazar said with a raised eyebrow.

"One full moon, Padfoot – Sirius's animagus form – saw Ron walking the grounds and holding Wormtail. He tried to grab the rat and missed and ended up pulling Ron into the Shrieking Shack… er, a… place in Hogsmeade that's connected to Hogwarts by a tunnel that isn't there yet."

"Hm."

"Hermione and I followed, because, well… a huge dog just kidnapped our friend."

"In a bloody painful way, might I add," Ron grumbled, looking down at his leg. Harry rolled his eyes and moved on.

"And there was a confrontation and Lupin showed up, and then Snape showed up and I, er, disarmed him-,"

"And knocked him out!" Hermione reminded him. "A teacher…"

"Anyway," Harry said loudly, pulling her out of her rant worthy thoughts. "We captured Wormtail and were heading back to the castle to get it all sorted out, but Lupin, uh…"

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him, and Harry mentally facepalmed. How was he supposed to explain what had happened without mentioning Wolfsbane?

"He lost track of the time," Ron told them. It was… sort of true.

"Yeah. So he turned, and we were all in danger. Sirius turned into Padfoot and protected us from him. There was a wolf call from the forest, and Moony – Lupin's Marauder name and what we call his wolf – ran off, but Sirius was injured. He was near the lake, and I ran over to him, and…" he frowned at Hermione. Explaining all of this and the time travel part was going to take a while. "I tried to help him, but the Dementors found us. There were… what, a hundred? Maybe two hundred?"

Hermione sighed. "More around two hundred."

Helga gasped softly. "That is… incredible."

Harry nodded his agreement. "I tried to hold them off, but it was too hard. My emotions were too mixed up and I couldn't think straight enough to find a good memory, a strong enough memory. In the end… I didn't have to. Someone else cast a Patronus and it saved us. And then… I kinda passed out. I woke up in the infirmary with Ron and Hermione. Ron's leg was broken, but Hermione was fine.

"Dumbledore told us to go back in time. We saved a hippogriff set for execution and then Hermione did the wolf call that saved Sirius from Moony… and then we ran from Moony-,"

Rowena frowned at the bushy-haired girl at the table. "He responded to your call?"

"Yes," Hermione nodded. "Why?"

"Hm…" the woman shrugged. "It may be nothing. I'll do more research and get back to you…"

"Okay?" Hermione frowned in confusion, and Harry moved on, eager to get the conversation over with.

"And then we watched as the Dementors started to attack us. I had thought… when I saw the patronus at first, I thought I saw my dad. But no one came. So I cast the spell. My stag saved Sirius and I."

"You got rid of two hundred dementors?" Helga asked with wide eyes. Harry shrugged and nodded, moving on before she could say anything.

"And then Hermione and I went and saved Sirius from being Kissed."

"I do not suggest riding Hippogriffs," Hermione added, shuddering. Harry rolled his eyes and looked at Salazar.

"See, I think we saved Sirius because it had already happened. Time is less of a delicate fragile butterfly and more of a… sturdy loop de loop."

"A what?" the man blinked at him.

"Er- a series of connected swirls?"

"Right… well, that's an interesting theory," Rowena said. "And it might help with my research."

"Really?" Harry blinked. The woman nodded thoughtfully.

"Although that idea makes me wonder if… hm…" she stood up in the middle of her sentence and walked off, muttering quietly to herself. The three friends blinked in surprise as Helena grinned at her mother.

"What… just happened?" Hermione asked.

"She just did a you!" Ron exclaimed.

"Excuse me?"

"You do that all the time," Harry laughed. "You get an idea and walk away to work on it."

"I do?" Hermione asked with wide eyes. Her friends laughed and nodded.

"Well," Godric grinned. "I think Rowena has just excused all of us from the meal."

"Yes," Salazar agreed. "And I suggest you three get to bed soon. We will be up bright and early to continue our dueling."

With great reluctance, the trio stood and bid everyone goodnight, making their way to their rooms for desperately needed sleep.

* * *

_ It was cold. For a long minute, that was all Ron knew. After what felt like an eternity, his friends blinked into his vision. He tried to run to them, but he was stuck in place, chained to whatever was behind him. Sighing, he looked around to see where they were and was surprised to see other kids – their age and both older and younger – all tied up the way he and his friends were. He didn't recognize any of the others, so he turned his head toward a door he found to his right. _

_ The door opened quietly, and he felt someone on his left flinch violently at the noise. He saw a man – was it a man? – walk into the room, holding a dagger. The man twirled the dagger between his fingers cruelly and eyed the girl next to Hermione. She looked to be about twelve. "Your turn, dearie." _

_ He felt sick when he watched the man throw the dagger at the girl. The dagger sunk into her gut in a way that would cause her immense pain, but wouldn't kill her. Desperate, Ron looked around to try and figure out where they were. That was when, with a start, he figured it out. _

_ They were at Hogwarts. _

* * *


	6. Chapter 6

"Are you sure?" Godric asked, looking pale. Ron nodded quietly. He felt sick. It was three in the morning after he'd had his dream. He'd woken up and gone straight to his Head of House, who had personally experienced visions. "Then…" he sighed. "I suppose we will adjust your training."

"Why?" Ron asked quietly. "Couldn't this just be a nightmare?"

"I do not believe so. I believe you have the Sight."

"The- I can't!"

Godric blinked. "Why not?"

"Well… I'm not…" he paused, trying to explain why he couldn't be.

"Because Harry is the 'Chosen One' and Hermione is very smart?"

"Well… yeah," Ron nodded.

"That does not mean that you cannot have the Sight. Just because they have something special, does not mean that you cannot have something special as well," the man said seriously. Ron lowered his gaze, but the Founder's words struck him hard.

"So… the training?"

"Yes," Godric sighed. "We will try some more diverse ways of training you, as well as setting up last resort situations."

"What do you mean?"

"I… am not sure yet." Godric sighed and stood. "Do you think you can sleep again?"

Ron shrugged. "Probably."

"Then go. Sleep more. I will send an elf for you and your friends for breakfast," Godric promised. Ron nodded slowly and stood. "Everything will be alright. I am sure of it."

"Thank you," the boy sighed. "I wasn't really sure who to go to, you know. Usually Harry, Hermione, and I just talk to each other about everything, but you guys seem pretty competent, so…" he coughed quietly. "Thanks."

Godric's lips twitched slightly and he nodded. Ron made his way back to his rooms quickly after that, zoning back into his thoughts as he went. Godric sighed once he was gone and rubbed his face gently. Whatever was going to happen, it didn't look good, and Godric had a feeling none of them would be getting much sleep until it happened.

He considered waking his friends and informing them of Ron's dream, but ultimately decided against it. They all needed some sleep, and he could inform them of this development before the children arrived for breakfast.

With a small sigh, Godric made his way back to his rooms and settled in for a few more hours of sleep – if it decided to come.

* * *

"Missus!" A squeaky voice called. Hermione frowned, her eyes still closed. That voice sounded familiar. "Missus! It is time for breakfast!" Biting her lip, the girl thought hard.

"An elf!" She mumbled, shooting up. Her eyes opened and she looked around to find an elf tugging at the blankets at the end of her bed. "I am so sorry. Thank you for waking me up! What's your name?"

The little thing grinned happily up at her. "It is no problem, Missus. I am Flicky."

"Thank you, Flicky," she said again, bowing her head. "I'm Hermione."

"Hello Missus Hermione," the elf smiled warmly. "I must wake your friends now."

"Oh, no," she waved him off politely. "I'll wake them. I've done it before."

"It is no problem," the elf promised her with wide eyes.

"That's okay," she said firmly. "I wanted to talk to them anyway."

"Alright!" The elf stood and jumped off her bed. "I will be heading back to the kitchens now."

Hermione watched the cute little creature skip out of the rooms with a small smile. He seemed happy and taken care of – he was wearing a new toga and shoes, and had a hat on to keep his ears warm. Shaking her thoughts away, Hermione stood and dressed quickly in the muggle clothes she'd brought with her. She had left some for the boys as well. They'd be wearing those clothes until the Founders could get their measurements to the elves to make them some period appropriate clothing.

She hurried to the boys' area and woke Ron first, sending a light stinging hex at him, and then went to Harry, where she hit him with a spray of cold water. She learned in the summer before their fourth year that being gentle was never the way to go.

When everyone was up and had stopped complaining at her, they met in the sitting room that connected their rooms. Ron told them about his dream and what Godric had said, and they left for breakfast with heavy hearts and, for Hermione, a very busy mind.

When they arrived at the Great Hall, they found Helena sitting with a man they all recognized, though they knew him as a ghost. It was beginning to get disconcerting, seeing people they knew dead. When they saw him, Hermione grabbed her friends' arms and pulled them back out of the Hall immediately.

"That's the Bloody Baron!" She exclaimed. "Sitting… with the Grey Lady."

"Time travel is really… odd," Harry commented quietly.

"That's the ghost of Slytherin House?" Ron asked, shaking his head. "Who are we gonna see next? Nearly Headless Nick?"

"Probably not," Hermione said slowly. "Considering he doesn't die for another three hundred or so years."

"Sarcasm, Mione," Ron said, rolling his eyes.

"Did you guys ever notice how… nice the Bloody Baron was to us?" Harry asked quietly. "I never thought about it much, since ghosts are weird, but…"

"But he knew us!" Hermione gasped. "Which means… Harry, I think your guess was right. We were always supposed to come here."

"Maybe we should tell Ravenclaw," Harry suggested as Ron poked his head around the corner, peeking a look at the Hall, where Helena and the Slytherin ghost were having a lively debate about the moral aspect of using Unicorn horn.

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea," Hermione agreed, nodding. "I'll tell her after breakfast when we're alone."

"Er, guys," Ron said in a whisper.

"Yeah?"

"Maybe we should go in," he suggested.

"Why?" Harry blinked.

"Uh, well… they've noticed us, and the Baron is kinda staring," he muttered. Hermione narrowed her eyes, but she nodded. Adjusting the strap of her beaded bag, which was hanging off of her shoulder and wrapped around her body, she stepped forward, making her way into the Hall.

Once inside, she offered them both a genuine smile. "Good morning."

"Good morning," Helena replied, returning her smile. "Théo, this is the girl I was telling you of, and her friends. Hermione, Harry, Ron, this is Théophile, a friend of the family. He stayed at the castle for the summer to work on his potion making."

"Hello," Hermione gave him a warm smile and bowed her head, the boys following her lead. "It is wonderful to meet you."

"And you," Théo grinned. "It is not often we get new students that join in the middle of the summer."

"It is the summer,” Harry pointed out. “I don’t expect you would.”

Helena gave him an amused look before sitting back down and waving for them to sit as well. Hermione and Harry sat on either side of the girl, while Ron sat across from them with Théo.

"You join us late," the Baron said. "Is all well?"

The trio shared a look and Harry shrugged. "We had a long day yesterday and overslept."

"I see."

"Théo," Helena said, gaining his attention again. "What did you say about daisy root and powdered bicorn horn in an aging potion?"

He considered the idea and replied, and the two slipped back into their previous discussion, thanks to a very kind Helena. The trio shared a look and nodded. They'd focus on eating for the moment and talk later when they could.

It was only when they'd just finished their meals and had begun a nice discussion about the particular enchantments placed on brooms (which Hermione assured the boys were already enchanted to fly by now) when the Founders graced them with their presence.

"We apologize," Helga said, nodding at them. "for not eating with all of you, and especially for missing the introductions."

Salazar eyed his student and the boy he was soon to adopt and seemed pleased that they were conversing in a friendly manner before he took over. "We had manners to discuss and the elves brought us breakfast when it seemed we were going to be a while."

"That's fine," Hermione assured them with a smile.

"Is everything alright?" Ron asked, frowning at Godric. Harry and Hermione both nodded very slightly and looked at the Founders as well. The four shared a hesitant look.

"We will be speeding up your training," Godric said slowly. "And it will be much harder than it was before."

Harry bit back a sarcastic comment and pushed down the annoyance. He and Ron had both had some difficulties – him with concentration and Ron with the spellwork, though he knew Ron's casting had gotten better later in the day.

"Should we-," Hermione frowned and very carefully didn't look back at Helena and Théophile. "Maybe we should go talk in the training room?"

"That is an excellent idea," Rowena smiled at her, nodding before she turned to her daughter and her friend. "We will be busy for most of the day. If there is anything you need, tell Elsy and she will find us."

"Yes, Mama," Helena nodded. She turned to her new friends and smiled warmly. "Good luck."

"Thanks," Hermione grinned back. She liked Helena quite a bit, and was glad to feel the same friendliness from the girl. "We'll catch up with you at dinner, hopefully."

"And remember not to let your wrist twist," Théo nodded at Harry, who made a mental note of it and gave him his Marauder grin. They'd spoken briefly of dueling, and Théo had suggested a few corrections for him.

Soon, the group of seven made their way from the Great Hall and found themselves by the east exit where the training rooms were. They settled into the seats placed around the room to talk, and all of them looked grave by the time they got there.

"We do believe that Ron's dream was a prediction," Rowena said to break the ice. Ron paled quickly, and Hermione placed a hand on his back to comfort him. "We do not know when it is to come true, but one thing is obvious – it is during school."

"We had quite a few questions, but one stuck out," Godric told them. "Why weren't we there to protect you?"

Hermione's eyes widened as she realized. "You- you can't be-,"

"It is a possibility," Helga said sadly. "We would and will protect this school and its students with our lives."

"What are you talking about?" Ron frowned. Harry was silent and staring at his hands, so Hermione was forced to answer him.

"They mean that they would never let this happen, Ron," she whispered. "Not while they're- while they're alive. Not while they could stop it."

It took him a few seconds to understand, and he only looked sick when he understood. Harry was still and silent, and he almost looked like a very life-like statue. Ron rubbed his face with his hands, thinking back to his dream.

"We were wearing clothes from this time," he said quietly. "So couldn't we just never wear clothes from this time? Wouldn't it not come true?"

"No, I don't think so," Hermione said. "If we're to assume that prophecies are true, then I believe this would be a self-fulfilling prophecy. It would force a situation in which we had to be wearing clothing from this period, and the prophecy would happen then."

"Damn," Ron swore under his breath.

"We can train you," Godric told them gently. "But the issue is, we don't know when it'll happen. So, because of that, we will be rushing it. Working much harder than we had hoped to have to work you."

"And we will be teaching at least healing and dueling at the same time," Helga added shortly. "If students will be harmed, then we must have you able to heal them."

"I will be training you in some more unorthodox ways of defending yourself and others," Salazar told them quietly. "None of these are dark magic, but some are less light and more… neutral. If you are uncomfortable with learning those things, tell me and I will not force you, though I do believe it will be helpful."

"Okay," Hermione agreed nervously.

"Is that all?" Harry asked shortly. Salazar and Godric shared a look and shook their heads.

"We will be teaching all of you Occlumency-,"

"I already know," Hermione frowned. "When Professor Snape started teaching Harry, I decided to try to learn so that I could help him."

"Hm," Rowena tilted her head, considering the options. "Then you and I will work on Legilimency."

"Yes, anyways," Salazar said, gaining the boys' attention once more. "We will be working on Occlumency.Aside from that, Harry, Helga and I will be giving you a full check up."

"A- what?" Harry blinked at him, momentarily forgetting his very serious job of professional brooding. "Why?"

"Because," Helga frowned, staring at his scar, which she could just barely see from his ruffled fringe hanging to the side. "there is something wrong with your scar."

"I- well, I'm…" he shot Hermione a desperate look and she caught on quick, her correct guess at his panic saving him.

"Harry's never had a check-up in the Wizarding World before," she explained before frowning. "Come to think of it, neither have I."

"Really?" Rowena blinked at her. "Then we'll get one for you, too… actually, for all of you, just to be safe."

Harry gave his friend a very thankful and very relieved smile. He wasn't sure he could handle Salazar – or anyone else, for that matter – finding out about the Dursley's, at least not yet, and if they knew he'd never had any sort of check-up before, they'd know something was wrong. He still had to handle the check-up itself, but at least one crisis had been avoided. 

"Is there anything else?" Hermione asked politely, smiling warily at her teachers. The four shared a thoughtful look before shaking their heads.

"Why don't we get the check-ups out of the way, and then we'll start with wandless and silent shields?" Helga suggested. With weary nods, the seven of them set out for the hospital wing to begin their long day.

* * *

"A broken wrist when you were six?" Rowena raised an eyebrow. Hermione blushed and gave her a sheepish smile.

"I was being chased by the boy down the street, and he tripped me."

"Ah, and you fell on your wrist?"

"Er- no… I got up and hit his arm," she laughed nervously. "That was before I learned to use words. Turns out, I like that option much better."

"I see," the woman said, shaking her head with a fond smile. "It looks like that is the only broken bone you have ever had, yes?" When Hermione nodded her head, she moved on. "You have got a good diet, maybe a little low on iron. You do not sleep much, do you?"

"Not really," she shrugged. "I study a lot."

"School should not take away from your sleep," the Founder frowned.

"Er- it doesn't, not really. Harry and Ron are fine. I just like reading a lot."

"I see," Rowena grinned. "As do I. My friends used to joke that the only way I would put down a book were if someone lit it on fire."

Hermione was slightly horrified at the thought and made a mental note to make sure the twins never got such an idea. She wouldn't put it past them to light her bookcase on fire just to see what she'd do.

* * *

"You may very well be one of the healthiest students I have ever examined," Godric grinned as Ron stood. The spell wore off quick enough, and he was free to go. "Might want to go wait. Your friends aren't done yet."

Ron looked slightly pale as he glanced at the curtain Harry was behind. "Probably, yeah."

* * *

"What will it do?"

"Just review your previous injuries, such as broken bones or brain damage of any sort, or organ damage, that sort of thing," Salazar said with a shrug as he pulled his wand out. It was hard to miss the way the boy paled. "Harry?"

"I'm- I'm not sure this is a good idea," he said quickly, glancing at the curtain and back at the man. "It's not really important, right? We could just look at my scar."

"Well," Salazar sighed. "normally I would say you are correct, but if it is Dark magic, I will need to scan your body to see if it has been affected. Besides," the man resisted the urge to narrow his eyes. "from the way you reacted, it seems you have something to hide in your medical history."

"I don't!" The boy denied hotly. "I just don't see the point in doing this, when-,"

"The point, Harry, is to make sure you are safe and healthy. That is and always will be the point," Salazar said slowly, pinning the boy with a harsh gaze. "If I find out that you are not or previously were not safe or healthy, I will blame no one but the person or people that caused you to be that way."

"I-," Harry grimaced. "I just don't… Please don't freak out."

"I will not 'freak out,'" Salazar promised honestly. "I can handle more than it seems you think."

"I… Alright."

With Harry's consent, Salazar raised his wand and cast the spell, and his previous injuries filled out on a piece of parchment placed on the table next to him. Harry felt his gut twist as the parchment began to fill. Each injury listed felt like a punch, and Harry was feeling sick by the time the long list had finished, starting from Halloween night of 1981 all the way until his near-death experience in coming back in time.

There was a long stretch of silence that seemed to last hours, but Harry figured it had only been a few minutes by the time Salazar spoke. "Harry-,"

"I don't see them much," he promised. "I'm at school most of the year, and then I only spend a week or two with them before going to the Weasley's, or going to see Sirius and Lupin."

"A minute with them is too much," Salazar snapped, eyes full of a barely restrained fire. Harry recoiled in shock. He knew the venom wasn't meant for him, but it surprised him, the amount of anger Salazar now held for people he'd never even met, just from an admittedly long list of injuries. "Who put you with them?"

Harry hesitated, and that was enough of an answer for the Founder.

"Do not tell me it was Dumbledore," he hissed. Harry shrugged lamely. "That man has had much too much interference in your life. I truly doubt that Sirius was the only person able to take you in when your parents died."

"Well…" Harry shrugged. "When we came back here, we found out that my mom was best friend's with Neville's mom, so she was probably next in line, but she's… not available."

"This is ridiculous!" Salazar fumed. Harry frowned as he felt the air around them crackle with magic. "You should never have been placed with those despicable muggles! You are obviously not safe there, and yet that man forces you to return every year?"

"Well," Harry said slowly. "He did mention something about blood wards. I have to go there a week every year, or the blood wards fall and I'm not protected, and neither are they."

"They don't deserve protection!" The man yelled. "And blood wards, bah! I am certain that, had you been adopted by a magical family, they could have created blood wards just as strong, if not stronger, to protect you!"

"Dumbledore seemed pretty sure of himself…"

"Harry," Salazar said, suddenly speaking very low and very slow. "Never believe anyone based on only their word. Always ask for proof. Always argue the point and always be sure that there is no other option if you do not like the one offered."

"I- I'm not sure I could argue Dumbledore," the teen admitted. "He's… Dumbledore."

"You say that as if he is some sort of god," Salazar huffed. "He is no god. He is a wizard. Powerful maybe, but he is no god."

"I- Alright," Harry nodded. "I'll do what I can."

"And you will not be going back to those muggles," Salazar told him firmly. Harry hesitated before nodding.

"I won't," he promised.

With a satisfied and grim nod, Salazar finished the exam. When he was done with the general exam, he opened the curtain and waved Helga inside.

It took them almost an hour before they were finished, and Harry immediately knew there was something wrong when they were done. "What is it?"

"There is… something inside your scar," Helga told him with a frustrated frown. "We did try to remove it, but I believe it is alive."

"It's  _ alive _ ?" Harry screeched, his voice a couple of octaves higher than normal. Salazar nodded shortly.

"It is dark magic, too. It's pressing on your brain, so it may be causing you to have some mood swings. I will be doing research, but we do not know what exactly it is," he explained, annoyance lacing his tone.

"Okay," Harry nodded slowly.

"But for now," Helga forced a smile on her face. "We shall train."

Harry pushed his thoughts away and nodded in agreement. They had a lot to learn and barely two months to learn it. After that, they could be attacked at any point, and they would have to be ready.

* * *


	7. Chapter 7

"Hold your wand!" Salazar instructed, yelling to Harry. "Yes, that's it. Keep it steady. Remember to focus. It's stronger the more you focus, Harry."

Harry did as he was told and felt his magic flow around him. It formed the shield around his body and he muttered the words he made sure to remember, and the shield sunk into his skin. He could hear his friends doing the same and smiled softly. They had another protection, even if it wouldn't last forever.

When he saw Salazar nod proudly, he grinned and closed his eyes, focusing on pulling his magic in and calming it down again. "That was… incredible. I've never used my magic like that."

"It is not something you should do often," Salazar told him. "But it can be very helpful. It gives you more ability to will your magic to do whatever you need. There is less need to use a spell."

"Is that how people create new spells?" Hermione asked, wandering over with Ron.

"Sometimes," the Founder replied. "Not often. It is hard to make accurate spells with this method."

"Can you teach us to make new spells?" Ron wondered. Salazar shrugged.

"We can try. That  _ is  _ one of my areas of expertise, but it is not easy."

"What else are we doing today?" Harry asked, impatient.

"You've got Healing, potions, and then more Occlumency," Salazar informed him. "As a matter of fact, you should leave for the hospital wing now or you'll be late."

"Alright," Harry sighed. "Thanks."

Salazar nodded and smiled as they made their way out of the room. Once they were gone, he leaned back in his chair and sighed. It had been easier than it should've been for Harry to access his magic in the way he did, and it worried him. No one was meant to have that sort of control over their magic in that form.

As he rubbed his head, he felt Hogwarts inform him that the trio had made it to the infirmary. Sending thanks back to the castle, he stood and turned, disapparating. He needed to get things set up before Helga finished with the trio. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

The trio learned a lot about Healing that day. For the first, they learned that it was not all potions and sleep. They learned that there was often copious amounts of blood and that it was infinitely more complicated than any of them had imagined. 

Next, they learned that it usually took a very steady hand and that if it shook at all, it could very possibly mess everything up and, possibly, kill the person they're trying to heal.

Lastly, they learned that healing doesn't always work. That talk sobered them up very quickly.

From Healing, they went back to Salazar for Potions and found him meditating on his table.

"Um," Ron said smartly.

"Professor?" Hermione called. When there was no response, Harry sighed.

"Professor, we're here for potions," the teenager said. The man still didn't move, and Ron frowned.

"Is he- is he breathing?" Ron stepped forward hesitantly, and Hermione rushed over, placing two fingers on his arm, which was lying beside him. After a few seconds, her hand flew to her mouth.

"No, he's not."

Hermione and Harry rushed into action while Ron ran to get the adults, something which they all agreed would be best, though the redhead was reluctant to leave his friends.

Hermione began CPR while Harry ran diagnostic charms, but it felt like they weren't being fast enough. The man had already been… his heart was already stopped when they'd gotten there.

It was ten minutes of constant CPR and spells before Ron ran back into the room, looking nervous. "I can't find them!"

"You have to!" Hermione snapped. "He's- Ron, he's not waking up! His heart won't start again!"

"Well, maybe if you'd stop  _ hitting it _ , then he would!" He snapped back. Hermione narrowed her eyes, and Harry stepped in, not looking up from what he was doing but speaking in a quiet voice that gained their attention.

"Shut up. Both of you. Ron, Hermione is using a muggle technique of starting a stopped heart. Hermione, he just doesn't know. Now stop what you're doing because he's dead."

They were all quiet after that. Hermione refused to quit, but she stared at Harry as she pressed on the man's chest.

"How did this happen?" Ron asked suddenly. "He was sitting on his desk like he was meditating."

"I- I don't know. The spell says he's been dead since… since a little after we left him," Harry replied, his voice breaking a little. If he was honest, he was a little angry. Salazar had offered to adopt him and to be like a father, and he had promised he wasn't like Sirius, and now he was… dead.

"How did he die?" Hermione asked, slamming her fist down on their professor's chest.

"Not sure. I can't find a cause of death," Harry sighed and lowered his wand arm. "What would happen that would leave no cause of death? Even if it were natural, it should tell me that. That's what Professor Hufflepuff said, at least."

Hermione gasped, eyes wide, and her hand flew to her mouth. "Harry, there's only one thing that can do that…"

"What?"

"The Killing Curse," Ron whispered, staring at Hermione. She nodded slowly, and Harry tensed, pulling his wand back up.

"In that case, we need to go find Helena and Théo. Make sure they're safe and then go make sure no one is in the castle," the raven-haired teenager said firmly. His friends, as usual, agreed to his plan. Hermione pulled the Marauder's Map from her bag, and they spotted Helena and Théo together in the library, so they ran there as fast as they could.

When they reached the silent library, Hermione shook her head. "They're just quiet because it's a library."

"Yeah," Harry agreed, believing himself as much as Hermione believed herself. They walked quietly along until they reached the area the Map said their friends resided. When they turned the corner, Hermione gasped and turned back around, throwing herself at Ron, who instinctively wrapped his arms around her. When he looked at the table, he understood what had her upset.

"They're dead," Harry whispered after waving his wand at them. "They- they've been dead for ten minutes."

"But that's how long it took us to get here!" Ron said with wide eyes. "Which means… whoever did this… they could still be here."

"And we're in danger," Harry confirmed, nodding gravely. He touched Hermione's arm softly. "Mione, we've got to go. We're not safe."

"The elves," Hermione gasped, shaking her head. "They're probably still here. And are we sure there's no more students?"

The boys shared a look, but neither of them could say she was wrong. They didn't truly know how many people were in the castle, and they couldn't leave if there was anyone else there.

"What about the Map?" Harry suggested. "We could just check it for anyone else."

"That's the thing, Harry," Hermione sighed. "I looked at it before we met Helena or Théo. They didn't show up on the Map – just us and the Founders. I have a theory."

Harry looked at her wearily but waved her on.

"Technically, this Map hasn't been invented yet. It won't be for a long time. So, it relies on our knowledge of who's here. We didn't see any intruder on the Map when we looked for Helena and Théo, did we? But they- they're-,"

"Okay," Harry nodded, cutting her off. "I see your point. We have to know them back here for them to show up. So we won't see any threats on the Map."

"And we won't see anyone else that might need help," she finished in a shaky voice.

"So," Ron sighed. "We have to stay and search for other people."

"Right," Harry straightened, shifting into the natural leader he'd always been. "Hermione, you take the top three floors. Ron, you take the middle two. I'll take the bottom three and the dungeons. Lock rooms with that Auror spell Mrs. Weasley uses in Grimmauld Place after you clear them."

"I can take one if you need," Ron frowned.

"That's alright," Harry shrugged. "I want you in the middle, just in case. If you hear someone screaming, go to them. Up or down, either way."

"How the bloody hell am I supposed to hear through floors?"

"Hermione?"

The girl sighed and dug her arm in her bag again before digging out three extendable ears and passing them out. "They're the only ones I have on me, so be careful with them."

"Got it," Harry flashed her a thankful smile. "Keep your Patronus out and walking with you, just in case. If you see something, send the Patronus to tell us and we'll get there as fast as possible. Disillusion yourselves, too. If you find someone, ensure they're not a threat before becoming visible."

"Got it," Ron said, plucking his wand from his pocket. "And if we… if we're not going to make it?"

Harry paused, considering the question. "Send the Patronus anyway and destroy anything from the future you have on yourself." He blinked. "Actually, let's just give everything we have from the future to Hermione right now, just in case."

The boys gave Hermione their things, except for the ears, and the trio shared a look for a moment before Hermione nodded firmly. "Let's go. Meet up in the Great Hall by the doors when you're done. Stay disillusioned until we're all there."

The three cast their Patronus before they left, and then split up, running in different directions.

It was already a bad day. All of them could tell it would only get worse.

* * *

"What is that?" Helga frowned, staring at the trio they were all watching.

"Hermione had that when she disappeared the other day," Godric said, tilting his head. "I do not believe she wished me to see it."

"It is a map," Salazar sighed. "Be patient next time."

"What sort of- oh my!" Helga gasped as the map in question filled out with Hogwarts. After looking closer, she and her friends noticed names on it.

Helena Ravenclaw – library; soul section

Théophile – library; soul section

Harry Potter – dungeons; potions room

Hermione Granger – dungeons, potions room

Ronald Weasley – dungeons; potions room

Salazar Slytherin? – dungeons; potions room

"I wonder why my name has a question mark next to it," Salazar muttered. Rowena hummed her agreement.

They watched the trio rush to the library, and Salazar felt another pang of regret rush through him. He knew this was necessary, but it was not fun. The look of horror on Hermione's face broke his heart. It was obvious she'd never seen a corpse before, and now she'd seen three in a fifteen-minute period.

"That's the thing, Harry," he heard Hermione say. Her voice snapped him out of his thoughts and he watched them reason out the Map.

"So they didn't create it, then," Rowena hummed. "That is too bad. I had hoped to ask how they did it."

The friends were quick to come up with a good plan, but there was one thing that stopped the Founders.

"You can send messages with the Patronus?" Godric's eyes were wide as he spoke. No one responded as they watched the grim looking friends split up to do their jobs.

* * *

Hermione paused, staring at the portrait of Barnabas the Barmy and tapping her foot anxiously. She glanced at her otter and sighed. "To Harry. I'm at the Room. Is it here yet? Should I check it? I don't want to get the Room of Hidden Things and be forced to search the entire thing." The otter swam off, disappearing into the walls. The girl ran her hands along the castle walls sadly, pushing back the tears that threatened to fall.

It was barely a minute before her best friend replied. "Check it. Just in case."

So, with that advice, the bushy-haired girl paced back and forth in front of the wall, asking for a place where hidden things were revealed. It only took one try for the room to show up, and Hermione wasn't sure if she was relieved or disappointed that it was there.

Opening the door slowly, she steeled herself for what could be inside.

* * *

Silence sat amongst the Founders.

Hermione Granger had just opened a door to a room that was not only hidden, but not one they knew had existed.

It looked like surprises were in store for all of them.

* * *

Harry had cleared the first three floors quickly and easily, which left him only the dungeons. He was mostly worried about that. He wasn't sure he could go back down there, but it felt wrong for anyone else to check it. So, taking a deep breath, the boy headed down the steps and found himself in the dungeons he hated for four years.

The first place he cleared and locked was the Slytherin common room and its dorms. It was smaller than he expected, and he had to remind himself that they weren't exactly spilling with students. The school was full, yes, but nothing like it was in his time.

Next, he went through all the stock rooms full of potions ingredients. All of them were empty and, usually, smelled nasty. He locked them quickly and pushed onto the office. It was empty, thankfully. He passed through there to Slytherin's rooms. He sighed. He didn't want to be there. " _ Homenum Revelio _ ." When the spell came up empty, he quickly left the room and locked it. He then made his way back into the hall, locking the office itself, and made his way toward the one room he'd been avoiding.

As it turned out, he didn’t need to worry about the classrooms. He needed to worry about the hallway near the classrooms.

* * *

Ron waved his wand aggressively at the large door and watched it close. He wasn't sure how to lock it the way Dumbledore had in their third year when Sirius got into the castle, so he had to do his best with what he did know. When he locked it with the spell his mother locked their bedrooms with while they were cleaning, he placed himself with his back against the statue facing the stairs and waited.

He'd finished his floors too quickly and had gone to secure the rest of the castle. Some more of the doors to the outside had been closed and locked, and he'd made sure to secure everything he could in the hospital wing.

He waved his wand at the lights and put them out, dimming the area. He pulled out the ear and waited, listening for his best friends.

* * *

"He's smart," Godric nodded with a grin.

"I still don't understand where Hermione went," Rowena frowned. "How did we not know about that room?"

"Perhaps we did not need to know about it," Helga suggested calmly.

Salazar remained silent as he watched Harry fight. None of them would be severely injured, but it was designed to test their dueling and their strategy. So far, Ron had been careful enough that he wouldn't be attacked, but Salazar was sure it would happen eventually. Hermione had disappeared into a room they didn't know about or how to get into, so she  _ couldn't _ be tested or attacked. They could only hope the room was safe.

With a quiet sigh, Salazar leaned back and continued to watch Harry fight.

* * *

It was almost too dark to see in the Room, but Hermione managed. She was used to reading in the dark at night. She glanced around the room and frowned. It looked exactly like it did in her time when she'd stumbled upon stacks and stacks of lost and hidden items. She even recognized a Muggle telephone.

"That's not possible," she whispered to herself. She glanced at her otter again. "To Harry and Ron. I'm in the Room of Hidden things… it is exactly like it was in-," she cut off. If there was anyone with them, which she had to admit was a complete possibility with what they were doing, they couldn't know where they were from. "the last visit. Something is… I don’t know. I’m concerned.”

She watched her otter swim away and shook her head. It was impossible. None of this – or almost none of it – had been placed there yet. With a sigh, she pulled her camera from her bag and took some pictures.

When she went to leave, she had an idea. She moved to a stack she knew she could easily recognize and removed an item – an oddly shaped box. After stuffing it in her bag, she ran out of the room with her wand drawn and ready to fight.

Which was, coincidentally, what she had to do not even a minute later.

* * *

It had taken him barely ten minutes of fighting before he'd won and had a chance to actually look at the person that attacked him. He took a deep breath and forced himself to relax as his eyes cleared of the high of fighting. He glanced down slightly and threw himself back, putting at least five paces between himself and his attacker. Blinking hard, he tried to look again, but the man in front of him stayed the same.

He'd just fought Lord Voldemort and won.

Upon realizing that, he promptly fell to the ground, his eyes closing.

* * *

Hermione ducked a punch and threw another spell before kicking at the man she was fighting. She almost recognized the man, but his name escaped her. She thought it was odd, his mixture of muggle and Wizard fighting, but she knew she'd have done the same, and she was.

It wasn't until she froze the floor and the man took a step and fell that she knew she'd won. She stunned him and put him in a body bind before moving to him, grabbing his wand, and snapping it. Maybe it was an intense reaction, but she wasn't willing to take any risks. Not when her friends were dead.

Taking a deep breath, she moved to the man and took a closer look. She frowned heavily at his arm. The Dark Mark was on it.

And then she, too, fell to the ground as her eyes closed.

* * *

Ron, the smart boy he was, sat in the Great Hall waiting. He couldn't hear anything.  _ Anything _ . He should've been able to hear his friends. But before he could go find them, he felt his eyelids growing heavily. And soon, he too had given into the feeling.

* * *


	8. Chapter 8

The Founders stared down at the friends lying in the beds in front of them. They had already healed the injuries both Harry and Hermione had received, and they'd given them all Dreamless Sleep potions. They'd all done well for the task, and the Founders were impressed, especially with how awful their education seemed to have been so far.

"They will be angry," Salazar commented softly. He was sitting between Harry and Hermione's beds.

"It was necessary," Rowena sighed. "I do not like it any better than you, love."

"Ro is right," Helga spoke up. "We cannot know how they would react unless they were in true danger. This was the only way if we want to get them ready for… whatever is to come."

"I know," Salazar sighed before switching to Parseltongue. " _ But you did not have to put them in danger. _ "

" _ We've been in worse before, _ " someone muttered back. Salazar's head shot up and he saw Harry glaring at him heavily. " _ What the hell was that? _ "

" _ Not my idea _ ," the Founder answered honestly. " _ I am sorry. _ "

" _ What was it? _ "

" _ It was a… test of sorts, _ " the man grimaced at his own words. " _ We had to know how you three would react in an emergency. _ "

" _ Then why was I fighting Voldemort? _ "

" _ Ask Godric _ ," Salazar suggested. " _ He is the one to choose. _ "

Harry turned to his Head of House and raised an eyebrow, but the man was just confused, which made Harry confused as well.

"Harry," Salazar said, looking almost amused. "we were speaking in Parseltongue."

"Oh." The boy shook himself and spoke. "Why did I fight Voldemort?"

"Because he is the person most obsessed with you, for lack of a better explanation," Gryffindor shrugged helplessly.

"What do you mean?"

"I looked into your future and searched for whoever was most obsessed with hurting you, the biggest threat to your safety. Voldemort is that person, though a woman with very large, black and white hair was next in line."

Harry grimaced. "Bellatrix. Sirius's evil cousin."

Godric shrugged. "He could not have hurt you too badly, though you beat him much quicker than we expected. You are a wonderful fighter."

"Thank you," Harry nodded before glancing at his friends. "When will they wake up?"

"You will wake in order of when you won or were taken," Rowena shrugged. "So you, then Hermione, and then Ron. He had to be taken since his strategy was very sound."

"He… didn't have to fight?" Harry asked, a smile growing on his face.

"No," Helga confirmed. "He closed the doors and locked them, turned down the lights, and placed himself in a position where he would see his attacker before they attacked. If we had sent someone after him, we have no doubt he'd have stunned them before they could duel."

"He's brilliant," Harry said with a grin. The grin faltered when he heard Hermione groaning beside him, and stood, moving past Salazar and sitting next to the girl he thought of as a sister.

"Harry?" she muttered, blinking. "Harry, what happened?"

"Mione, it's fine," he promised, putting a hand on her arm to calm her as she began to remember recent events. "Everyone is safe."

"Professor Slytherin?" Her eyes widened as she asked the question, but the man just moved closer so she could see him.

"I am perfectly fine, Hermione. I apologize for giving you such a fright."

His words were so honest that both teenagers paused.

"I'm glad," Hermione said gently. "And Helena and Théo?"

"They are fine," Rowena jumped in. "We sent them to Hogsmeade for a few hours so we could complete the test."

"Oh."

"I believe Ronald is waking," Helga told them softly. The two turned to their friend and positioned themselves on either side of his bed as he woke.

"Mmm," he mumbled. Harry shook his head fondly but stopped when he understood what his friend was saying. "-ione."

Hermione froze on the spot in confusion, and Harry couldn't help but be somewhat amused. He knew Hermione saw both of them as brothers, but Ron apparently hadn't caught that.

"R-Ron? Ronald, wake up," she demanded. The boy stirred a little more before blinking awake and looking around, gaping at the Founders.

"You- you're-,"

"They're fine," Hermione assured him quickly. "But I do think we should have a talk."

"Yes," Godric sighed. "That would probably be good."

* * *

"It was cruel," Hermione insisted. The trio were talking alone after having the situation explained to them, and no one was happy, but Hermione was  _ angry _ .

"Maybe, but they have a point, Mione," Harry sighed. "Fighting to fight is one thing, but fighting for something is another. It's a very important difference."

"They had to know how we would react under pressure," Ron added. "How could they know that we wouldn't just hide in the cupboard?"

Hermione stayed silent as she tried to argue their points.

"I don't like it," she whispered.

"Neither do we," Harry assured her, resisting the urge to rub his head. "But it's already over."

"I've never seen a… a dead body before, not like that," she closed her eyes, and Ron frowned at her.

"Neither have I," the boy said softly. "But we will have eventually. There's… there's a war coming, and we will eventually. I don't think it matters anymore."

"It should!"

The boys sighed, but they continued to try and convince her to forgive the Founders. It was an hour later when they gave up and went to bed. She wasn't the only one affected by the events of the day – she was just the angriest.

* * *

"Please don't make it dance again," Hermione said tiredly as she watched her friends transfiguring their plates to have legs. "I don't want to repair them again." They'd been there for a month already, and they'd finally moved onto brushing up on their general magical knowledge. School was to start in a week, and they had to be ready.

"It's funny!" Harry said with a lopsided grin. "Plus, it's a hard spell. You have to admit that it's impressive I got it so easily."

"Yes, fine," she rolled her eyes. "You have your father's talent for Transfiguration."

"Why do you say he had a talent for Transfiguration?" He asked curiously, letting his wand fall a little. The plate dove off the table at the small motion and smashed onto the floor. He had the grace to look embarrassed.

Hermione repaired the thing quickly and handed it back to her friend before answering him. "He became an animagus before he was fourteen. That alone says he had a talent for it. Plus, Sirius used to talk to me when he hid from Mrs. Weasley in the library, and he mentioned it."

"You and Sirius talked?" Harry's eyes widened. The girl shrugged.

"He is actually very smart, Harry, and interesting to talk to. He was an auror, remember?" Harry nodded a little before she continued. "He tells me stories of his time working with Moody sometimes."

"Really?" The boy sighed and shook his head. "I'll have to ask him when we get back."

"I got it!" Ron yelled. His friends turned and Hermione grinned at the sight of his plate sitting calmly on the table, legs pushed out in front of it.

"Good job, Ronald!" She gave him a one-armed hug before looking up for Professor Ravenclaw, who was making her way over. "I think we've all got it."

"I believe you have, yes," the woman commented, looking over their plates. When she found them all satisfactory, she nodded firmly. "Good. That'll be all the Transfiguration for the day. I believe you, Harry, have Occlumency now. Ron, Hermione, you two have more Healing."

Harry had already passed his Healing and had focused more on his Occlumency. He still had lessons, but they were twice a week now instead of once a day. He and Salazar had also hurried along with the Occlumency, and he'd managed a few basic shields on the more painful memories. They were now working on the Dursley's, something he was never excited about.

He left his friends and headed to the dungeons, where he met up with his mentor. The man offered him a tight smile. He knew Salazar didn't like these lessons much either. They had a sort of connection, the same sort he had with Sirius. It couldn't be fun for him to see Harry in pain.

"Before we begin, there's something we must discuss," the Founder said. Harry sat across from him and nodded him on. "When you got here, we agreed you would be adopted by me as an excuse for your presence. It is time to do just that."

"Okay," Harry said slowly. He was surprisingly very okay with that. Salazar had been a wonderful help to him in adjusting. "How do we do that exactly?"

"It is a magical adoption," Salazar informed him. "We will connect our magic and your magical signature will change until it somewhat resembles mine. It is painless. It feels like a warmth wrapping around you. It is a bit like drinking a warm drink."

Harry noted that the man seemed to have personal experience with it, but he didn't comment on it. "And then I'll be… adopted?"

"Almost," Salazar shrugged. "You have to have a second… a godfather."

Harry stiffened. "I have one. Sirius."

"And he is not here," the man shook his head. "I am sorry, Harry. You must pick someone else."

"Does that mean… will he not…?"

"In the future, he will be as much your godfather as whomever you pick in this time."

"Oh. Then… Professor Gryffindor, of course," Harry gave a slight grin. "I am in his House, after all."

Salazar matched his grin, shaking his head. "How that came to be, I have no clue."

"So… when will the adoption happen?"

"Tonight," Salazar said firmly. "There must be at least seven witches there to conduct the adoption. We will have to request Hermione and Helena's help and a few from Hogsmeade that are former students, but I do not believe it will be a problem."

"Why seven witches?" Harry frowned.

"Because it is an adoption," Salazar answered. "Witches must oversee it, and it is best if it is done by a coven."

"I don't… are you… they're not a coven, though," Harry blinked at him.

"No, but they have the power of one. Seven is a very powerful number, and seven witches are the most powerful group of magicals to exist.”

"What about the Wizengamot?" Harry wondered. 

"Hmm. More powerful than them, most definitely. Witches are typically more magically powerful than wizards, and seven is the most powerful magical number. Combine them and you get a coven or an unsealed coven."

"What's that?" Harry blinked. He'd never even heard about covens before.

"It is when seven or more witches work together on a ritual or something of the sort but have not sealed themselves and declared a coven. It is only a little less powerful, but there are some things that only sealed covens can do."

"Like?"

"Most Dark rituals, for one," Salazar hummed. It had been a while since he studied covens. "Warding a place can be more difficult because the strongest wards are tied to a person or group's magical core or their combined magic. So, if a sealed coven puts up your wards, then you are most definitely safe. It is, actually, the safest warding we know of today."

"That's amazing," the boy breathed. "So, Hermione and everyone else, they'll be like that but unsealed? And we have to have a coven to do the adoption?"

"Exactly," Salazar smiled. "Do you understand?"

"I think so," Harry hummed. "Is there anything else I need to know for it?"

"Hmm," Salazar thought for a second. "It will include a trade of blood, so your palm will be cut just a bit. Aside from that, just wear your best robes and you will be fine."

Harry resisted the urge to groan and nodded instead. They quickly got on with the lesson, which was easier than the past few and didn't leave Harry wanting to jump into a volcano for once. He knew why. He had a life changing moment in a few hours. They both did.

* * *

"Did you need something, Professor?" Hermione asked coolly, raising an eyebrow at Rowena. The woman sighed internally but just smiled.

"We need your help with something," she explained. "It is for Harry's adoption tonight."

"What do you need?" The girl asked, her cold mask slipping a little at the mention of her best friend.

"We need to form an unsealed coven. It will consist of myself and Helga, you and Helena, and a few trusted past students from the village."

And so, Hermione, as curious as ever, began questioning the woman, and Rowena couldn't help but feel a little better. She was very slowly chipping at Hermione's anger. She could only hope it would fall away soon.

* * *

Harry looked at his reflection in the calm surface of the lake. He looked like he had last year, at the Ball, but much less… confused. Actually, he realized, he looked more like Ron. He shook himself and looked up as Godric approached. He'd come to care for the man quite a bit in their short time in the past. 

"You look much calmer than you typically do after your sessions," the man commented. His voice was soft, and Harry just nodded silently. "Sal told me that you requested I act as your second – or your godfather, as you call it."

"Yeah."

"I am honored," the man told him. Harry blinked in surprise.

"You are?"

"Yes," Godric nodded honestly. "You are a very odd child, and we have all come to care for all of you. I am glad to have this opportunity."

"So, you don't mind, then?"

"Why would I ever mind?" Godric wondered, bewildered. "Even if I did not know you, Salazar is a brother. I would do it for that fact alone."

Harry was quiet for a few minutes before he glanced over. "My dad never got the chance to be my dad. I feel like I'm… I don't know. I feel like I'm ignoring the year he had with me. Like I'm ignoring what they did for me. Sacrificing themselves."

"You are not," Godric said, his voice firm. "You are finding a way to live your life happier, the way they would have wanted. Parents wish only for their children to be happy and safe, and if they cannot do it for them, then they wish for their children to find someone else to keep them happy and safe. I am sure that, were your parents here, they would appreciate us keeping you safe. They would not be upset with you."

"Do you have kids?" Harry asked softly. Godric nodded proudly.

"I have one son. He is grown and traveling, living his life. He visits every once in a while."

"Is he happy?"

"I believe he is," Godric smiled. "But it was not I, alone, who raised him. Salazar, Helga, Rowena, they all assisted me."

"What do I call him?" Harry questioned. "Salazar, I mean."

"I believe that is a question for him," Godric nodded. "But as for me, you and your friends may call me Uncle Godric, if you like. It is what Helena calls me."

Harry paused before shaking his head slowly in amusement. "Four years ago, when I was sorted, I never thought I would someday be sent back in time and asked to call my Head of House Uncle Godric."

Godric raised an eyebrow. "A month ago, I never imagined you and your friends would fall into our lives and I would gain another child to care for, or Sal would find another son, but Fate seems to have fallen bored."

Harry snorted. "She always seems bored with me."

"And I," Godric assured him. "But I believe we are late. We should head to the Great Hall. Everything was already set up when I left."

"Alright," Harry sighed, turning toward the castle. "Let's go."

* * *

The entire hall was bathed in gold and silver, a hint to Harry's past and future Houses. He grinned at the sight. There were no banners like in his time, but Hermione had apparently put up some wonderful illusions on the wall. It had the Hogwarts crest with the Slytherin one on the left and Gryffindor on the right. Above it was Ravenclaw and below was Hufflepuff. He glanced at the podium where a metal basin sat, next to a very old looking knife. He glanced at Hermione and she nodded, indicating that it had been sterilized. Upon closer inspection, he noticed it had a snake on it, slipping around the knife in boredom. He took an involuntary step back, thinking about the Chamber doors in his second year. He'd been remembering that awful night more often and it was beginning to really bother him.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and glanced up in surprise, shocked out of his thoughts. Salazar gave him a nod and he took a deep breath. It was really happening. He'd known for the past month that it would, but it was always a future thing. But then… it was finally happening. 

He glanced over to where the Head table usually was and spotted the unsealed coven. He had to admit, they did look pretty intimidating. Hermione looked like a literal goddess, sitting with her hair pulled back in a bun and a few curls hanging around her face, framing it prettily. She had on a long purple dress with a train behind it. He could see a little makeup on her and wondered why she, of all people, would pack makeup in her bag.

Beside her sat Helena, looking almost as beautiful as his friend. She had on a blue dress and her hair was down, framing her face nicely. He didn't pay much attention to her and instead moved on.

Rowena was next, and she didn't look much different than usual. She had always been gorgeous, but he'd never paid much attention. She was wearing blue as well, true to her House colors. Her hair was down as well, falling sweetly to the front of her dress and down to her waist.

After Rowena was Helga, who was wearing a dress that was a beautiful mustard color. Her blonde hair was pulled into a braid that ended on her left side, like a waterfall. He had to admire that – he had no idea how they could twist hair in such a confusing way.

Next were three women that he didn't know. They were gorgeous in their dresses of white, warm orange, and gentle pink, but he'd never seen them before.

"Judith is in the pink," Salazar said, startling Harry. He chuckled at the slight jump the teenager gave but moved on. "Katarina is in orange, and Rosemary is in the white. They were all in my House in school, and they were good friends. They started the Apothecary in Hogsmeade when they left school."

Harry nodded his understanding and continued to look around. "There are more people here."

It was true. There were about twenty-five people hanging around the Hall, including Ron and Théo, who were talking quietly near the doors.

"The town. We had to invite them when we requested help," the man explained. "It would have been rude not to, and we have a good relationship with them. It is important to keep it that way."

"I see." He avoided any more talking by approaching Hermione, who turned and grinned at him happily.

"Oh, Harry!" She squealed, reaching to pull him into a hug, which he returned hesitantly. "I'm so happy for you. Did you know that I have to be the head of the group since I've known you longest? And I'm your best friend? Oh, I'm so excited for you!"

"Hermione!" He said firmly, finally gaining her attention. "Take a breath."

"It's just so interesting," she said sheepishly. "Hogwarts – in the future, I mean – doesn't have much information on covens, and I didn't even know there had to be seven women in one until today!"

"It is very interesting," Harry admitted with a grin. "Did you ask Ron about them?"

"Ron!" She exclaimed with wide eyes. The teenager in question's head shot up and he glanced over nervously.

"Yeah?"

"What do you know about Covens?"

"Er…"

"Later, Mione," Harry grinned. "We're busy."

"Oh," she blinked, deflating.

"Yes, why don't we get started?" Godric called, silencing the Hall easily. Hermione gave Harry an apologetic smile and shooed him away. The boy sighed inwardly and moved awkwardly closer to the podium where Salazar was standing.

"We are all here to perform the magical adoption of Harry James Potter by Salazar Slytherin," Godric announced. There were a few gasps, and Harry realized that some of the people from Hogsmeade didn't even know why they were there. "Is the coven ready?"

"We are," Hermione replied. Her voice was steady and she was smiling, but Harry saw her fists clenched tightly.

Godric nodded and raised his wand. Before Harry could wonder what he was doing, the podium raised from in front of them and moved across the Hall and into the empty area. Salazar nodded at him, and the two followed it as Harry began to wish he'd asked more questions. Godric joined them on the other side of the podium for his part of the rituals.

When they were once again on either side of the bowl, the unsealed coven made their way over as well. When they reached them, Hermione was standing directly in front of Harry. In front of Salazar was Helga. Rowena was on her other side. On Hermione's other side was Helena, and then the three strangers followed.

The coven joined hands, and Harry watched curiously as they chanted words he didn't quite understand. A gentle white and gold light surrounded him, flaring out and gently touching the founders, as well as his friends – including Helena and Théo. He blinked in confusion, but he knew it wasn't the time.

He saw Salazar covered in green and silver and black and noticed his light was reaching out to almost the same people, with only the three girls Harry didn't know in the circle also included.

The chanting continued until the lights dimmed and only the one remained – the one between Harry and Salazar. He watched in amazement as Hermione's eyes, which were glowing with magic, along with everyone else's, turned to Salazar.

"Do you, Salazar Slytherin, accept responsibility over Harry James Potter's life? His happiness and his safety? His comfort and his peace?"

"I do," Salazar promised. Harry wasn't sure he'd ever heard the man so serious before.

The magic from Hermione's eyes encompassed the man and settled into his skin. Salazar shivered slightly as it prodded and entered his magical core, one half of the binding finished.

"Do you, Harry James Potter, accept Salazar Slytherin to be your father? To be your caregiver and your family?"

"I- I do," Harry nodded firmly. He gasped as the last of the magic resting in his friend's eyes settled into his magical core, content and happy and urging Harry to feel the same. Who was he to argue?

"And I, Godric Gryffindor, do solemnly swear to protect and care for Harry James Potter if anything were to happen to Salazar Slytherin."

There was a silence as the magic slid out to him for a second and settled into him. Harry grinned at his new godfather as the man smiled contentedly as well.

"And now," Godric said as the Coven relaxed, most of their job finished. "for the blood adoption. With these two adoptions, it cannot be protested in any time. It is official and forever."

Harry glanced at the light that was still hanging between him and his almost-father. It was now gold and green, and Harry realized it was the bond between him and Salazar. Curiously, he focused on it and tugged. To his surprise, he saw Salazar's gaze snap to him. Before the man said anything, he shrugged. 

"Salazar, take the knife. Repeat after me," Godric instructed. Salazar tore his gaze from Harry with a slight frown and did as he was told. They repeated the same words as before, but that time, Salazar cut his hand carefully and dropped some blood into the bowl. Harry cringed. That did  _ not _ look fun.

When it was his turn, he repeated what he was told, albeit nervously this time. Godric waved to the knife and gave him an encouraging smile, which he tried to return, but he suspected it was more of a grimace. He pulled the knife down and across his palm, ignoring the feel of blood and memories of a graveyard pulling at him. When the cut was big enough, he turned his hand over and squeezed until enough blood had poured into the bowl.

Setting the knife down, he barely heard Godric's final words. He glanced up at Salazar as he squeezed on the slightly painful cut to, hopefully, slow the already slow bleeding. Most would've missed the wince Salazar gave, but he'd spent enough time with him recently to recognize it. He raised an eyebrow, and the man gave a very slight nod to Harry's hand, which only confused him more.

"-adoption is complete!" He heard Godric announce. "Congratulations!”

Harry couldn't help but grin, and he was relieved to notice Salazar doing the same. There was clapping and grinning, and the coven broke their linked hands. Harry was confused to see the green and gold magical link still there, still visible, and gently shoved Salazar's shoulder with his own. "Why can I still see it?"

Salazar's lips twitched at the question. "You accidentally opened a mental link in connection to our magical link. Since it happened during the adoption, it is permanent. If you ever see this light fade… assume there is something wrong. It should always be visible."

"That's what happened when I pulled at it?" Harry wondered. Salazar nodded.

"I have not felt that in a long time, and it took me by surprise," he explained.

"So… can we communicate through it?"

Salazar nodded again. "With practice. I imagine it will be easier for us."

"Why?"

"Because you have never had a father and I have not had a son in a long time, and because of our Occlumency," the man said softly. Harry nodded and changed the subject.

"I'm not really sure what to call you," he admitted with a shrug.

Salazar hummed as he thought about it, and the two took seats at the teachers' table, which was very odd for Harry, who had never really even walked near it before.

"Athair," the man said after a few silent minutes. "It means Father."

Harry thought about it for a moment before he nodded slowly. "Athair. Okay. I'll call you Athair."

* * *


	9. Chapter 9

Hermione smiled softly after her friend as he spoke with his adoptive father. She'd always wished Harry could just be her brother. She'd even explained the situation to her parents once, and they'd gone to Dumbledore and asked him about it, but the batty old man had just said that Harry already had a family. 

At least that was finally true.

She couldn't think of anyone better for Harry. As much as he cared for Sirius and Remus, she knew they weren't the same. They had too many of their own demons to battle to help Harry battle his. Salazar, however, would put his entire world aside if it meant Harry would be safe. She could see it in his eyes.

She also saw the same fierce protectiveness in Godric, which didn't surprise her. He was now also Harry's godfather, and he was proud of her friend. She knew he was proud of all of them, and now he had just another link to them – to Harry.

Harry also had Rowena and Helga. They cared deeply for the trio as well, and they would most definitely act as aunts to him, Hermione had no doubt. She turned her thoughts from them before she could get angry again the way she had been often since the test they’d been given.

And then there was Helena and Théophile. Harry had friends in them – siblings, even. They were kind and caring, and they never pushed too far. Even Théo, who didn't know of their truth, had been careful and avoided pushing when he saw he was going too far. They were good friends, and most definitely invaluable.

Finally, Harry had herself and Ron. They were family. They were the closest of siblings. They'd been so since their first year when Quirrel had let in the troll. They'd kept the Stone safe and they'd taken care of the basilisk – even if Harry had to fight it himself in the end.

So, Harry had a wonderful family and Hermione couldn't have been happier for him. He was practically shining with joy. But she couldn't help but worry about the day they had to go back and leave it all in the past.

* * *

"Why can't I heal it magically?" Harry frowned at Helga, who looked honestly apologetic, but she wasn't backing down.

"It has to do with the magic sent into your core," she explained. "If you heal it magically, it will be much easier to remove, and the bond can break. I am sure it will heal quickly enough the muggle way."

Harry resisted the urge to throw his head back and sigh, but nodded instead and dropped his injured arm. "Then why am I here?"

"We have found the source of the magic in your scar," Salazar whispered. Harry frowned when the man wouldn't meet his gaze. "I am sorry."

Harry's eyes widened. "Why? What is it?"

"Harry," Rowena said quietly. "what do you know of Horcruxes?"

* * *

Harry fidgeted nervously with his new robes and pulled at the green coat he was wearing. He was sat two tables away from his best friends, and the only person he even knew – and was luckily friends with – was Théo. The other boy gave him a reassuring nod before turning back to listen to the Hat singing his song. Harry's lips twitched at the sight. It looked like some things didn't change over time.

When the song was over, students began to be sorted. Many went to Hufflepuff and Gryffindor, with fewer to Ravenclaw and even less to Slytherin. Harry knew his father's House was the most selective and took closer looks at not only your mind but also your heart. And beyond that, Harry suspected the Hat was charmed to look into someone's future somehow.

When all of the new children were sorted, each Founder stood and gave their own short speech. Hufflepuff went first, telling her students and others the importance of unity and loyalty and how important it was to be kind. Harry noted that she looked troubled and realized that she, and likely the others, made their speeches thinking about the coming trouble Ron had predicted.

Ravenclaw stood next and told her students that it was important to read and learn and to remember to apply that knowledge for fear it should fade away. She promised them that, should they need help, they should always come to find one of them, be it home or school trouble. 

After her was Gryffindor, who gazed out at all of the students proudly and happily. He promised them first that they were safe, a promise that made Harry's gut twist. He knew they couldn't say that for sure. Next, the man told them that, should they be brave and smart and courageous, they will be successful in life, but only if they remember to be smart.

Finally, Salazar stood and moved to the very podium where he'd adopted his son. He stared at the wood for a long second before speaking, gazing across the large room and letting his eyes settle on the black-haired boy he called his son for a few seconds longer than everyone else.

"My friends are correct," he began. "If you follow their suggestions and speak to us and voice your concerns, you will be successful not only here, but in life as well. I have no doubt of that. You were all admitted here for a reason, never forget that.

"But there is something coming that we cannot prevent. Something that we, your head teachers, cannot protect you from. You see, a month ago, a student of ours had a vision. I will only tell you that, because of this vision, we saw the need to find you more protection in case of our unfortunate unavailability.

"This protection consists of a few students," he explained, locking eyes with Harry. He saw his son nod slightly, giving him the okay to give their names. "If you ever find yourselves in danger and cannot reach us, find them.

"Harry James Potter-Slytherin," he said, nodding at the nervous boy, who straightened up and erased all doubt from his eyes. The entire school turned to look at him, and there were some gasps at his name. The man heard a few children shout in confusion, but he put his hand up to silence them. "My son."

"Hello," Harry greeted, waving lamely but with a large, Marauder grin on his face. 

"Théophile," Salazar said next, waving at him. He left out any last name for the simple fact that the boy hated it and had refused to even tell the Founders his last name. 

The school turned to scrutinize him next before watching the Founder again. "Hermione from Gryffindor House."

The girl in question stood for a moment and nodded at them firmly before sitting again and blushing furiously.

"Ronald from Gryffindor House," Salazar continued. Everyone turned to the redhead, who gave them a sideways grin, before looking at the man for the next person. "And finally, Helena Ravenclaw."

That, however, did not come as a shock to the group. Helena had been someone everyone turned to for a very long time already.

"We are not sure when this vision shall come to pass, but always be careful. Stay on guard, and stay armed. Protect yourselves. Older students, protect the younger. Younger students, make sure you are safe before looking for your friends."

And then he stepped back, and the feast began, leaving the students as ruffled as they were in the trio's time after one of Dumbledore's speeches.

* * *

"Won't it just cause panic?" Harry wondered.

"Probably not," Salazar replied with a shrug as he moved the last of the books back to the shelves. Harry had sat on a desk across from his father as the man cleaned up the room for the night. There had been House meetings before the students had been sent to bed. "They will be cautious now. They trust us, and by extension, now you as well."

"Really?"

"Yes," Salazar nodded seriously and sat across from Harry. "We are trusted to keep them safe. They are our students. We'd do anything for them."

Harry was quiet after that, pondering his father's words. He supposed that, technically, that's what a Headmaster would do. They'd keep their students safe and happy and in a place where they can learn securely. Harry's problem with the idea was that it was nothing like what Dumbledore did. The man was so caught up in his Greater Good and his Plans that the students, the little pawns that they were, they were shoved out of thought until they could be used. Dumbledore let people be hurt and attacked until Harry himself was forced to stop it, and he'd almost died doing so. The most Dumbledore had done was sent his bird, and even then-

"Harry!" Salazar said loudly. Harry shook himself from his thoughts and blinked. His father was standing directly in front of him, looking very concerned, with his hands on Harry's shoulders. "Harry, you cannot think like that. We do not know all of his reasons for acting the way he did."

"It seems pretty obvious to me," the teenager sighed bitterly.

"Yes, from your point of view. Now, using the limited information that we have, put yourself into his shoes," Salazar instructed. Harry made a face but did as he was told. "You have a prophecy made about your previous students' child. You inform them of it and suggest a way of keeping them safe, which they agree to.

"Then, they die suddenly, which leaves you to believe the only possible choice: that Sirius Black was the Secret Keeper and that he was working for Voldemort. And so, the child's godfather is gone, as well as his godmother and her husband. You find out that, when Lily was dying, she set up wards around the child to save his life. They are connected to blood, and so the child goes to Lily's Muggle sister.

"The child has someone watching him, albeit not well. He is removed from Wizarding society for ten years for his own safety, and so no one is to know that he is being attacked by the very Muggles he lives with.

"When he reaches Hogwarts and is placed in your own House, you are pleased. He looks like his father, too, but he has his mother's eyes. Everyone can recognize him, and you are assured that your decision to have him raised in the Muggle world was a good one.

"And then you begin to see signs of a Horcrux in the boy. You begin to worry, and so you set a trap for him, as well as Voldemort, who you are sure is alive by now and likely possessing the DADA teacher. Both fall for it, and they confront each other.

"Voldemort cannot stand to be touched by the boy, and it leaves you wondering whether he is a Horcrux or rather if it was just the wards keeping him safe from the monster. You give him a few placating words and send him back to the Muggles for the summer. Do those decisions make enough sense?"

"No," Harry huffed. "He should've just told me what he was thinking."

"Would you have wanted to know, at eleven years old, that you possibly held a piece of the soul of the man who murdered your parents?"

He was quiet for a beat. "No. But he could've listened to me about the Dursley's! I did try to tell him, but he just said that they're my family and I should be with them! There have to be stronger wardings than what my mum put on me! He could've set up another  _ Fidelius _ and made himself the Secret Keeper!"

"I will agree with you on that," Salazar said, nodding. "Shall we keep going, or do you understand me?"

"I… I guess I get it," he admitted. "I just hate it. He shouldn't have ever had so much… so much…"

"Control over your life?" Harry nodded. "You are right. But he did. All we can do is make sure he does not have that control in the future… your future, I mean."

"You're sure we can do that?"

Salazar gave him a serious look and nodded. "I promise you, Harry. You will not be under his thumb any longer."

Harry watched his eyes to make sure he was being honest – more out of habit than distrust – before nodding slowly.

"Now, it is getting late. I will escort you back to your rooms tonight – I need to meet with your Uncle before he tries to impress his first years by blowing up their common room."

"He doesn't," Harry wondered with wide eyes as they headed toward the door. Salazar nodded with an eye roll.

"Every year. He seems to find it amusing, and Helga usually has to get the first years hot chocolate afterward. I do not know why he still believes it is a good idea," the man shrugged.

"Does anyone ever get hurt?" the boy frowned. "It doesn't sound very… safe."

"Not usually," Salazar assured him. "One boy was hurt once when his older brother teased him and he ran where he should not have run, but otherwise, it is generally safe."

Harry blinked. "You mean he doesn't just set up wards around the explosion? That would keep the smoke confined, as well."

"I did try to suggest that, but he just said he had it handled. How, I have no clue."

"Well…" Harry looked up at his father, smirking slightly. "I  _ was _ a Gryffindor. Maybe I could sneak up there and watch and put up a couple of wards if the smoke gets bad or any first years wander off?"

Salazar smiled proudly at the teenager. "You are a Slytherin as well, that much is clear." He nodded as they changed directions, now heading toward the Gryffindor common rooms.

* * *

"Bloody hell…" Harry muttered quietly as he made his way into the room during his uncle's welcome speech. He used some of his training and felt around the room for any wards with his magic. Aside from the typical Hogwarts wards, he didn't feel anything. With a frown, he made his way to the back while his father disillusioned himself and stood a ways away and behind Godric.

He was so focused on the warding that he only noticed the body coming down the steps when it slammed into him. His left foot went behind him to steady himself as he reached out with both arms to steady the person in front of him. "Are you okay?"

"I am so sorry," the girl gasped as she righted herself, blushing furiously. Her arms were on his, and she was gripping so tight that her nails drew just a bit blood – to which both Harry and Salazar gasped, though she didn't seem to notice or hear it. "I was not looking – I just wanted to see Professor Gryffindor blow it up again."

"I'd heard about that," Harry hummed. "Personally, I think he's being reckless, but I was assured only one person-," he paused when he saw his father, through the disillusionment, shake his head. "er, only one  _ student _ has been hurt before."

"Really?" She asked, eyebrows raised. "I thought he was just lucky the past few years."

"No," Harry shrugged a little. "But I am extremely curious how he does it."

"Warding?"

"Apparently not. I felt around- there's none there," he sighed and watched his uncle grin stupidly at his students, shooting a wink at his nephew.

"You felt it?" her eyes were wide as she looked at him. "That's really advanced magic."

"I had a great teacher," he shrugged. "who gave me no choice but to do well. Have you ever not wanted to disappoint someone so badly that you'd work harder than you ever have in your life?"

"No," she said honestly, tilting her head at him. "but I wish I did. It sounds like a beautiful person to have."

He smiled softly at her. "What's your name? You never said."

"Oh!" She blinked. "I am so sorry. I am Aariah."

"I'm Harry," he said. She looked surprised, and like she wanted to reply, but Godric had finished his speech and had his wand out, so Harry pointed at him and she quieted.

Godric looked intimidating with his wand out. He was tall and large and his hair was pulled back by a strap of leather. He held his wand out and, casting silently, waved it at the common room. The first years, as well as any other students that had snuck down from their dorms, were pushed back against the left wall.

Nervously, Harry and his father cast, hoping to protect any curious students.

" _ Protego Maxima _ !"

" _ Repello Inimicum _ !"

The wards were cast at the same time. They were bright, brighter than the explosion Godric had created. Both father and son felt the gentle, warm prod at the small cuts on their arms. Their blood fell to the ground, touching the stone floor of the common room.

The Gryffindor common room erupted in the golden-green light that made up the bond of Harry and Salazar. When it touched the explosion, it was immediately put out, the only evidence left being Godric with his wand up.

The father-son duo felt their bond tingling as they were tied into Hogwarts and Harry stumbled while Salazar held tightly onto the chair in front of him. The man's disillusionment fell abruptly as the light settled down, leaving only the typical visual bond between the pair.

"…Hello, Sal, Harry," Godric muttered, looking between father and son. 

"Hey, Uncle Godric," Harry said quietly. "I'm a lil tired. Maybe I could just… lie down…?" He blinked once and tried to stumble over to his uncle, only to find Aariah dropping an arm around him and helping him over. He tried to deny needing help but when he found his words dancing out of his brain, he let her help.

"Harry?" Salazar asked, blinking away the blinding light. It took him a moment before he saw a student helping Harry over toward Godric and himself, and the man shot over to his son. "Harry?"

"'M fine," the boy slurred. "Jus' tired."

"You burnt out your core," Salazar hissed after waving his hand over him for a few moments. "Harry, you could've died!”

"Not till you," the boy muttered firmly, glaring up at him. Salazar started at how serious he was and realized that his son truly meant it. He didn't want to leave him.

"Let us get you to your rooms, yes?" He offered. Harry shrugged lightly.

"Uncle Godric shouldn't blow anything else up in here," the teenager said in a detached voice. "won't go well."

"I will not," Godric promised, frowning softly at Harry in concern. "if you do not do… that again."

"Can't," was Harry's only reply before he lost consciousness, and the girl supporting him grunted, only able to help him gently to the ground.

Salazar blinked as he finally realized again that someone had been helping the boy up. "Fifty points to Gryffindor. Thank you for your help, Aariah." With only a small look between the two founders more, Salazar picked Harry up and carried him out of the room and to the Infirmary to let Helga and Rowena fuss over the pair.

They could worry about what had happened after some rest.

* * *

"Harry, do you know why we are considered the safest place for magicals?" Rowena asked the teenager, who just blinked and shrugged. His head was hurting and he didn't want another history lesson. "It is because we have the most collective knowledge. We are the only magical school in the world right now."

"What about-,"

"No," she said before he could suggest another school. "Whatever it is, it has not been made yet."

"So… why is it still the safest place in my time? I mean, there's other schools now, at least three others. Is it the wards?" Harry asked.

"No," Helga replied, before tilting her head in consideration. "Well… yes, sort of."

"That's… not very helpful," the teenager frowned.

"What she means, is that there were no special wards – none that other magical schools would not have. Not until last night," Rowena explained. Harry just blinked at her. "Last night, you and Salazar created blood wards in the Gryffindor common room-,"

"We didn't!" Harry denied hotly. He knew full and well that blood wards were illegal. He’d discussed the ones his mother had made with Salazar before knowing that she could’ve been arrested for what she’d done. He would never make them himself, especially not in the future where the Ministry was looking for any excuse to arrest him. 

"You did not mean to," Helga soothed. "But you did. When you cast those spells – spells which we have never seen combined before – it mixed with the blood that both of you were letting fall, and the bond that you already shared."

"So… all of that made… blood wards in the common room?" Harry frowned. "What does that mean?"

"Harry, can you do a favor for me?" Rowena asked.

"That depends," he said. "What is it?"

"I need you to quiet your mind, the way you do for Occlumency and listen. Once your mind is silent, listen for any whispers that are not your own."

Harry frowned at the odd request, but he did as he was asked. He'd been practicing enough and it only took him a moment to silence his mind. Once it was done, he was surprised to find the whisper that Rowena had suggested would be there.

_ Hello, My Protector. _

_ Hello? _

_ I am glad to meet you once more. _

_ We- we've met? _

_ Yes, in my future. It is in your past now. _

_ What do you mean? _

_ Are you not from the future? Did you not travel here to find your family and renew the World? _

_ My coming here was an accident. _

_ That is what you believe, My Protector. Do you not think that your Athair would disagree? _

_ My- he- it was just a broken Time Turner. _

_ Exactly.  _

_ Who are you? How are you talking to me? _

_ Is it not obvious? I am your Home. I am the Home for the Lost. _

_ What do you mean? _

_ I am Hogwarts, My Protector. I am Home. _

* * *


	10. Chapter 10

It took Harry two full days before he was released from Helga's care, and another week before Salazar had finished fussing over him. Godric, however, was not quite done.

"You could have been killed!" The man told him again. "If you'd stepped in front of that flame-,"

"Athair would have saved me and your students would have a fun story," Harry grumbled as he took another sip of his drink, which only made him miss pumpkin juice and coffee.

"Or Sal could've been too late and you'd die!" Godric huffed. He'd pulled Harry away from the Gryffindor table, where the boy had tried to sit to talk to his friends, and taken him to the staff table for another lecture. The rest of his family sent the teenager pitying looks, and the other professors just looked amused or disinterested. Students also seemed to find his plight funny if the way they looked up at his argument with his uncle said anything. 

"Tell me, Uncle Godric, in the entire time you've known my father, has he ever been too slow?" Harry wondered, not even bothering to look up at Gryffindor's stumped face. "Look, I was careful. I didn't even step in the line of fire, you know. I stayed back and shot in the general direction of the spell. I even made sure not to hit you or Athair."

"You should not have been so near danger," Godric tried slowly.

"Yeah, okay, and what about those first years?" Harry asked pointedly, finally looking up and raising an eyebrow.

"They were out of the way and they have never been hurt!"

"Except…"

"…it was once, and it was not bad."

"Uncle Godric, I'm fine."

"Do not ever do it again," the man said firmly. Harry nodded, crossing his fingers, and agreed. "Good. Now, how about we get to dueling early today? I would like to teach you some crowd containment spells before class begins."

* * *

Harry most definitely did not like their runes professor. He only worked part time, when Rowena or Salazar were not available, but he seemed to do his best to grate on Harry's nerves.

It was barely a month after classes began that the professor had officially decided he didn't like Harry either, only a short time after he'd finally realized the relationship between the Founders and Harry.

"Are you listening, boy?" Professor Alvarah snapped. Harry's eyes shot to the man, and he fought off a frown.

"Yes, Professor," he promised, flinching slightly. He'd become a wonderful liar, but the Professor was having none of it.

"If you do not wish to be in this class, boy, then just leave," Alvara hissed. Harry attempted to suppress another flinch but didn't manage. "I will not be keeping you here."

"I'll be staying, thanks," Harry replied coolly.

"Fine. Then pay attention, or you will be visiting the weapons room to do some cleaning." Harry didn't reply to the threat, and the professor only sneered at him before he got back to teaching. He paid enough attention to the rest of the class, and it was at the end when he'd finally relaxed when the man yelled again. "Boy!"

Harry took a deep breath and let his head snap to the professor. "Do  _ not _ call me that. I don't care who you think you are. Professor or not, you do not have permission to treat me with such disrespect. I may be a child, but I am respectful and smart and you have decided to pick on me for  _ no real reason _ !" With a glance around the room, Harry sighed inwardly and stood. "I'll be leaving then. Have a good day,  _ Professor. _ "

With that, Harry stood and made his way out of the room, even as he ignored the gentle whispers of comfort from Hogwarts.

* * *

"Why?" Salazar asked gently as he took a seat next to Harry. The teenager had made his way quickly to the rooms he shared with Ron and Hermione and had dropped himself on the couch, waiting for someone to come to him – he knew it wouldn't be long.

"He wouldn't  _ stop _ ."

"Stop what, Harry?" Salazar kept his tone soft as he asked. He'd been given a story, of course, by Alvara, but he didn't trust the man and he never had. He suspected that the distaste for Harry stemmed from that, but he had no proof.

"He- provoking me."

"Why did you let him?" the man questioned. "You know Occlumency – you know how to calm yourself."

"Because it's not anything we've put shields up for!" Harry snapped. "I told you I didn't want to work on the Dursley's yet."

Salazar paused. What could that man have done that roused memories of  _ them _ ?

"Did- Harry, did he…"

"He didn't hurt me, no," Harry murmured, his eyes dark. "Just… a word. It's a stupid word."

Salazar considered his options before speaking, slightly hesitantly. "Would you like to put shields up over those memories now?"

Harry paused. He knew his father was asking so he wouldn't need to explain, and he was grateful. So, with a silent nod, they began.

_ They fell into a preppy living room, the size of the room they were just in. With a quick look, Salazar realized Harry looked to be no more than two years old. _

" _ Boy!" A booming voice called as a large, whale-like man stomped into the living room. Harry flinched visibly and stood, showing Salazar his clothing. He had on a greyish-white shirt that was much too large for the thin boy, and a pair of pants that were also too large, being held up by a rope. "Did you finish dusting?" _

" _ I tried, Uncle Vernon," Harry said with a frown. "but I can't reach some of it." _

_ The large man let out an angry grunt as he padded over to Harry and lifted his arm, easily knocking Harry halfway across the room. The boy curled into a small ball on the ground and seemed to be sniffling in pain. "Finish it!" Vernon screamed before muttering angrily under his breath and making his way back into the kitchen. _

The pair fell out of the memory, and Salazar stood and paced over to the fireplace, his hands in fists at his side. That…  _ whale _ had hit his son, and he had been, what, two?

"I was five," Harry answered slowly, Salazar's thoughts having been loud enough to sound through their bond. "I'm usually small for my age. Not lately, I guess."

"Because you have been well fed," Salazar hissed. Harry stayed silent at that while Salazar forced himself to calm down. "Would you like to continue?"

"Some other time," Harry muttered moodily. "I just want to take a nap before class later."

"Okay," the man said hesitantly. "Just tap the bond if you need me."

"Okay."

Giving his son another glance and frown, Salazar walked out. He knew he'd only made things worse by losing his temper.

* * *

"Harry," Hermione said hesitantly. "I just wondered if you wanted to talk about- er-,"

"About class?" He asked bitterly. She shook her head vigorously.

"No, not that. Well… sort of," she shrugged slightly and cast another warming charm. The pair were outside by the lake, watching students run from classes. "It's just… Well, you've been losing your temper a lot, and I was, well, I was wondering if something was wrong."

"Right," he replied in a bitter tone. "That."

"So, there  _ is _ something wrong?"

"'Mione, do you know what a Horcrux is?" He asked. The dark look in her eyes told her that she didn't want to know, but she had to ask. It was Harry, after all. So, she shook her head and tilted it to show interest.

The explanation was quick, and while she normally would've wanted more details, the bookworm gladly filed away the information she was given and didn't ask more. "So, you brought them up because…?"

"Because," he said slowly, glancing back toward the castle. "when they did the check-up, they found something in my scar." He paused to let her catch up. "'Mione, it was a Horcrux. Voldemort made me a Horcrux."

"He- no!" She yelled, surprising him into looking at her. She had a few tears in her eyes and was staring at him as if he were about to explode. "You can't!"

"I am," he replied bitterly, though he was more than a little worried. "Why is it such a big deal? I mean, I know I'm a little moody, but everyone is looking for a way to remove it."

"Harry… I've done research on souls and soul magic. I don't know much about this, but… look, the soul grows as your magic does. It's like with accidental magic. The older your soul is, the less of it you'll have. So, to take a piece from your soul… well, I suppose it's why Voldemort was so cruel, in a way. His soul probably acted as a last line of defense, and when that was gone…"

"Unforgivables for everyone," Harry finished, frowning. "Okay, so Voldemort's angrier than normal. So?"

" _ So _ ," she said slowly. "It is extremely hard to touch a soul at all. To  _ remove it _ must be even harder! So, you've got a soul stuck in your head, making you angry, and it's nearly impossible to remove!"

"Okay," he frowned, beginning to get nervous. "Nearly impossible, not completely. Right?"

"I don't know," she sighed, slumping against the tree again. "I'd have to ask Professor Ravenclaw."

"So it's a bit worse than I assumed," he summarized. Hermione nodded sadly and took his hand, more for her comfort than for his.

"Yes. Just… keep me updated, alright? I'll ask Professor Ravenclaw later and tell Ron what's going on while you're in class," she promised. Harry gave her a grateful smile and the two lapsed back into a comfortable, albeit slightly nervous silence.

* * *

_ Hogwarts… you showed Neville the Room of Requirement. _

_ I did? How nice. _

_ You really don't know the future? _

_ I truly do not. _

_ Then how did you know I'd be coming? That I'd be- what'd you call me? _

_ My Protector? Because your magic is as ingrained into me as your father and uncle and their friends. _

_ So… I don't think I understand. _

_ Well, the Founders, as you call them, made me, in a sense. I was here before them, though. They took me and built me back up until I was beautiful once more. They brought students for me to protect and for them to teach, and so we both do so to the best of our abilities. You, however, are what protects me. _

_ So… you protect the students and I protect you? _

_ In the simplest of terms, yes. Your magic is tied to mine and mine to yours and yours to your fathers. _

_ What does that mean, exactly? _

_ That, I believe, is up to you and your family. The future, just like the past, is not yet set in stone. _

_ You're really cryptic. _

_ Thank you. _

* * *

"How do you like it here?" Helena asked quietly as she and Hermione walked to the library together.

"It's… it's different but definitely not bad," Hermione said. "I'm learning so much that they never even consider teaching in the future."

"Really?" the other girl asked in surprise. "Like what?"

"Healing, for one," Hermione sighed and nodded at the frown on Helena's face. "I'm not sure why they've gotten rid of it, only that it's gone."

"So, until now…"

"We've had no training," Hermione confirmed. "It's why we had such issues until before school."

"I see," the girl said with a deep frown. "Hermione… when we first met, I heard you talking."

Hermione blinked as she tried to remember what they had been talking about. When the memory came, she stopped walking. "Oh."

"Yes. You referred to me as the 'Grey Lady?'"

"I- yes, we did."

"Why?"

"Helena, I'm not sure I should tell you," Hermione sighed.

"Hermione, I doubt there is anything that can stop Lady Time's plans," the girl said thoughtfully. "Whatever you tell me, I will not try to stop it."

The bushy-haired girl thought for a moment before speaking slowly. "You are the Grey Lady – the ghost of Ravenclaw. You don't talk to students often, though I've seen you talking to my friend Luna."

"Oh? And why would I speak with Luna?"

"Likely because she's the most honest person I've met," Hermione suggested. "And she needs a friend, most especially in her first three years. She's very smart when you listen and very insightful, even if she seems… loony."

"She does seem like someone whose company I would enjoy," Helena agreed thoughtfully as they began walking again. "Would it do any good to ask you why you referred to Théophile as the 'Bloody Baron?'"

"No," Hermione shrugged. "All I know is that he was always nice to Ron and Harry and I, even though he's the ghost of Slytherin, who has only been seen talking to Slytherins."

"How rude of him," Helena sniffed.

"It's  _ history _ ," Hermione corrected. "And it can't change. We don't know what changes could prevent us from coming here."

"We would not want that," Helena said softly and honestly as they finished their pleasant walk into the Great Hall.

* * *

"I had another one," Ron said as he slammed his way into Harry's room. "Harry, wake up, I had another one!"

"Wha?" Harry mumbled, shoving his head further into his pillow.

Ron flicked his wand in a hurry, flinging his best friend's blankets and pillows off of the bed and then once more, lighting the lamps. "Harry!"

"Wha? What? Ron?" Harry blinked and pulled himself up, his eyes on his panicked looking friend. "What's wrong?"

"I had another one! Another dream!"

"The- like with the- the… thing?" Harry asked smartly. Ron nodded vigorously and Harry sighed and closed his eyes. He focused on the gold and green line leading out of the door and tugged on it hard, letting his worry seep through.

When he was done, he opened his eyes and waved at his bed. "Go on, sit. I'll get us some tea." Ron did as he was told and sat, and Harry left the room to their small living area where he called an elf for tea and waited for it to get back. Before the elf returned, however, he heard a shout from his room and rushed back over.

"Where's Harry?" Salazar asked hurriedly as Ron stared with wide eyes. "Ron, where-,"

"I'm right here, please calm down," Harry muttered, rubbing his eyes gently. "It's Ron that needs the help."

Once the man had looked Harry over and assured himself the teenager was fine, he turned his attention to the redhead in the room. "Ron?"

"I- I had another dream," he said shakily. "I'm not really sure… I don't understand what it was."

"Just slow down," Salazar coached, his voice gentle. A confused elf knocked hesitantly at the door and wandered in with the tea, and Salazar gave it to the nervous redhead. "start at the beginning. What did you see?"

"I- well, it was dark. I'm not really sure where I was. There was something sticky on my hands and clothes and in my hair. I was- I was holding Hermione up and she was awake, but she was bloody and… I looked for Harry, but… I don't- Harry, I'm sorry…"

"It's alright," Salazar soothed, though he looked a little nervous now himself. Harry sat next to his friend and guided his tea to his mouth. The redhead took another minute before speaking again, but he kept his head low and Harry got the feeling he was crying silently.

"There was a black…  _ thing _ leaking from his forehead and… we weren’t moving, we were just there, but there weren’t any other students anymore and…”

"Is that all you remember?" Harry wondered. Ron hesitated before nodding hurriedly, and Salazar frowned.

"Ron, whatever else there is, it's alright to tell us," the man promised. The boy hesitated again before looking at Harry.

"I'm sorry. I don't- maybe we can prevent it."

"Ron, what happened?" Harry prodded. Ron looked down again.

"When we got outside, the Founders were there, but they were… standing over someone, and…" he glanced at Salazar now. "I'm sorry… it was you."

* * *

Hermione had been filled in before breakfast as well as the Founders, and everyone noticed the two groups looking particularly grim. The thought of Harry and Salazar dying made everyone a tad anxious, and it was rubbing off.

It wasn't long before Helena was filled in on things as well, and she'd pulled Ron and Hermione away so that Harry could talk to Salazar.

It was almost two weeks before everyone had managed to put thoughts of the horrific vision aside and get back to daily life.

"I was wondering," Hermione said softly as she helped Salazar sort through his new order of potions ingredients he'd received. "if perhaps you could explain the… way Helena and Professor Ravenclaw communicate?"

"Oh," Salazar blinked and turned to her in surprise. "I have not thought of that in a while."

"Helena said it was some sort of… of soul magic," she prompted as she put the lizard tongue away.

"I suppose," he allowed. "it is a connection of souls to be opened by a motion. Helena and Rowena tap their wands to either open or accept the opening of the connection. It can be ended by tapping it once more."

"That's brilliant," Hermione breathed. "And it's undetectable?"

"Yes, much like a true soul connection."

"Like the one you and Harry have?"

Salazar blinked at her. "Yes, like ours. He told you?"

"He tells me everything, and Ron too, if he can," she admitted with a sheepish shrug. "Which, uh, brings me to the next reason I wanted to talk to you."

"Yes?"

"Er- Harry told me you were looking for a way to remove the Horcrux," she said slowly. She saw the stone mask he used while teaching fall, hiding away any and all emotion, and she held back a wince. "Sorry, it's just… I wanted to help."

"I apologize, Hermione, but this is not research I can allow you to help with," he told her firmly. "I assure you, I have it handled."

"But sir, I've done a little reading on souls in general. Not as much as I’d have liked, but I was warned not to read too much from that book and… From what I've read, souls are nearly impossible to even  _ touch _ , and mixed with dark magic… sir, I'm just not sure that's possible."

"It is," he told her shortly. She watched him for a silent minute before reaching a terrifying realization and correcting her original statement.

"I'm not sure it's possible to remove it without killing him," she said quietly, so quiet that he nearly didn't hear her, but he knew what she was going to say even if he hadn't heard it.

Salazar stayed quiet for a few agonizing moments while he thought. It was only when his mask fell that she realized he'd come to some sort of conclusion.

"Hermione, who do you care for most in this world?"

"In this one?" She asked. He nodded silently. "Harry and Ron… and then you four and Helena and perhaps Théo."

"I asked who you cared for  _ most _ ," he told her, and she sighed.

"Harry. He's a brother – he's my brother. Blood or not, I would do anything for him."

"And that, Hermione, is why you are asking me a question you know the answer to. Because you know I care about him too and that I hate the answer just as much, if not more than you do. Because you believe that love can drive someone harder than anything else. Hermione, would you like to know the one thing I have learned that I still have yet to come to terms with?"

She nodded silently as tears began to form in her eyes. She could see the blatant pain on Salazar's face and felt her gut twist painfully.

"Love, however much of it you may possess, cannot accomplish the impossible."

At those words, a sob tore from the girl's chest and the tears began to pour. Salazar looked at her in slight surprise. He'd truly thought that she would be too stubborn to cry in front of him, but he was glad to see he was wrong. He had just told her that her brother would have to die for a madman to be stopped, after all.

And so, Salazar wrapped an arm around the teenage girl and allowed her to cry into his chest as she truly understood what the Horcrux in Harry meant.

* * *

"She's avoiding me," Ron muttered with slumped shoulders. Harry frowned.

"I'm pretty sure she's avoiding me."

"Harry, I'm the one that had the vision, she must be avoiding me," Ron insisted.

"I'm the one that  _ died _ in that vision, it's probably me," Harry denied.

"You are both stupid, hmm?" Helena rolled her eyes. "She is a person- a human being. She can be avoiding everyone because she is having a hard time."

"But she's Hermione," Ron frowned. "She'd tell us."

Helena gave him a look like she couldn't tell if he was serious before sighing exasperatedly when she realized he was. "Are all boys in your time so thick?"

And with that, the girl stood and left the Hall to find Hermione.

* * *

"What did you do to annoy her?" Aariah asked, laughing slightly as Helena gave Harry a cool look while passing him in the hall.

"Ah. Ron said something a bit… senseless about Hermione, and she's not happy with either of us. Not sure why she's annoyed with me, as I didn't say it…"

"Maybe, but you are Ron's best friend, yes?"

"Yeah?"

"That is why, then."

"That's… but that makes no sense!" Harry blinked at the laughing girl.

"Apparently neither did what your friend said."

"Girls," Harry grimaced. "You're all so confusing."

"No," Aariah shrugged. "We only follow different logic than you. If you understood that, you would likely understand why Helena will be giving you the cold shoulder for the rest of the day."

"This is too much work," Harry shook his head as they arrived at Dueling. Godric caught his eye and tilted his head curiously, to which Harry just frowned and mouthed "girls" at him before taking his spot.

* * *

By the time the normal Christmas holidays rolled around, they'd all settled into a routine and the three had each made their own friends. Hermione spent plenty of time with Helena, and Ron spent his spare time that he didn't spend with Harry or Hermione with Théophile. Harry spent his spare time with Aariah.

Harry had realized that he, apparently, had the same aptitude for Transfiguration that James Potter had, as well as one for Potions that his mother had – when he had a proper teacher, that was.

Hermione was brilliant at Healing and had decided to attempt to read every book on it that she possibly could, and there were plenty.

Ron was a seer, that much they knew. Godric had begun teaching him how to tell when he would have one and how to disconnect his emotions when they came, and more that Ron had never imagined would be a part of Seeing.

They were also becoming wonderful duelists. They regularly trained with the Founders and had begun truly trying to best each other.

Salazar had paired with Godric to find some sort of last-ditch effort for the trio to use to protect the school, and they'd finally managed to find something and teach it to them to the best of their abilities, though it was hard when they couldn't practice it without being hurt badly.

By the time Christmas came around, however, the trio were all feeling somewhat better. They'd already learned plenty and had made friends, and they had begun planning to keep Harry out of Dumbledore's grasp when they got back.

All in all, they deemed it a good term.

* * *


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I messed up. I was just copy pasting chapters to post them and didn't realize that I had messed up transferring files when I swapped computers. So, the chapters were messed up in my folder for this story. Thank you to whoever pointed it out, and here's the correct chapter!

When classes began again on the third of January, after a break to visit family, Hogwarts had another few new students in their midst, which the Founders explained was because some of them could not make it until later because of their work at home.

It was the first day back during Runes – with Professor Ravenclaw since Harry flat out refused to be taught by anyone but her or his father – that they met the odd student with the eyes that penetrated a person in the most confusing way.

"Does- does he remind you of…?" Ron trailed off, staring blatantly at the blonde-haired boy sitting across the room.

"He looks sort of like-,"

"But he can't be, right?" Harry wondered. Hermione took a deep breath in before shrugging.

"Her family _is_ a part of the Sacred Twenty-Eight," she explained. "And the circle was only made a few decades ago at the most."

"So, he's…?"

"Merlin's bloody balls!" Ron laughed with wide eyes. "That's Luna's ancestor!"

"I do hope they are not bloody," the boy they were discussing said with a disturbed frown. "I imagine that would be extremely uncomfortable, yes?"

"What?" Harry blinked. Hermione looked the boy over closer, and her hand flew to her mouth to stifle a giggle when she, apparently, came to a sudden realization.

"My- well, I suppose it is probably quite rude to be discussing them, to begin with."

"Harry," Hermione laughed. "This is Emrys."

The boy's gaze floated to her and he gave her a sweet smile. "Hello."

"Emrys?" Harry wondered.

"Merlin," Ron gasped.

"What?"

"No, Harry, I mean, it's Merlin," Ron said, nodding at the blonde boy in front of them.

"You- oh!" Harry's eyes widened drastically. " _You're_ Merlin?"

"Well, yes, but I do prefer Emrys as Hermione called me," he informed them.

"You know my name?" She asked with an excited smile.

"Oh, yes. I know everything," he explained seriously. The trio paused.

"Everything," Ron repeated.

"Yes. Would you like an example?"

"Please," Harry said, resisting rolling his eyes.

"Alright, Harry "Boy-Who-Lived" Potter-Slytherin. You traveled back in time to find your family and do what you have already done," Emrys glanced at Hermione and tilted his head. "You find Luna fascinating and love the idea of her creatures, but you have not seen proof and so you disagree with her. Do not worry. You will come to know her better in due time." He gave Ron a grin. "And you certainly do love using my name and body parts to curse to gain your parents' attention because you are the youngest boy and not even that holds their attention because their youngest child is a girl and she has their attention now."

"…bloody hell."

"Did you really doubt him, Ronald?"

"I mean, no, but meeting him…"

"I am known in your time," Emrys said. It wasn't a question, but more a phrase as if he'd just read it from a book. "How lovely."

" _He's Luna's ancestor_ ," Harry hissed in Parseltongue, his shock picking his language instead of him.

"What?" Ron asked, blinking at him in confusion. "Mate, you're speaking snake again."

"Sorry," Harry shook himself. "That's the second time this past week that I've done that."

"That's odd," Hermione frowned. "I wonder if it has to do with your bond, or-," she stopped herself as the familiar cold sense of dread overcame her.

"He will be fine," Emrys whispered to her. "Professor Slytherin was wrong – love can do the impossible."

"How did you…?" the girl blinked at him, hope hiding behind her eyes.

"I know everything," the boy shrugged and made his way back to his seat as Professor Ravenclaw began the lesson.

"Oh, he is _so_ Luna's ancestor."

* * *

"It's… weird," Ron commented as the trio ate. "I always pictured him as this old guy with a staff and beard."

"Maybe in his future, Ron, but he wasn't _born_ old," Hermione shook her head fondly.

"I know that. I just meant it's how all the stories show him," Ron grumbled.

Harry, however, wasn't paying attention. He was sitting up very straight and had his eyes closed in a near-meditative state as he spoke with Hogwarts.

_You said you can't see the future._

_Not in the ways you wish I could and not too far into the future – not your original time._

_It's just… Hogwarts, Ron had another vision._

_You will die._

_Yeah._

_All will be well._

… _I'm pretty sure it won't be if I die._

_It will, My Protector. You will be fine._

_But I'll die._

_Yes._

_Death is a bit more permanent than you're making it sound._

_For most._

_Are you saying I'll die… and then come back?_

_I am merely saying that, in the end, you will be fine._

_Okay… and what about my father?_

_He will be fine as well, as long as you get to him right when you wake._

_And if I don't?_

_Then he will not be._

_Right. So… Checklist for that day, yeah? One – die. Two – wake up. Three – remember Athair so he doesn't stay dead._

_Remember to take care of my students._

_Oh yeah, that too. Right. Doesn't seem too overwhelming._

_Is that sarcasm, My Protector?_

_I would never._

* * *

"Are you certain they're ready?" Godric asked, looking nervously down at the little, powerful witch in front of him.

"They are prepared for a multitude of injuries... They have been prepped for as many knife wounds as we possibly could and they know their way around the potions. They will be fine."

"You are still worried."

"We are all worried," she replied quietly. "We are putting the school and its students in their hands on the assumption that we are… unavailable. It would be foolish not to worry."

"We still have no way of knowing when it'll happen. It could be tomorrow or in two years," Godric sighed and rubbed his forehead tiredly.

"We should get hot chocolate and bring it back to the office. The children are there and we'll be discussing the research on sending them home," Helga said quietly, shifting the subject.

Godric agreed easily and the pair quickly made their way to the kitchens and asked for the drinks before heading back up to their office to meet with their little family.

"Please!" They heard Ron say, sounding rather hopeful.

"We won't be reckless," Hermione promised. "I could probably do it alone, but…"

"But we can't," Harry added. "Sirius and the Marauders did it when they were younger than us."

"Maybe, but they did it for a friend. A good cause," Salazar told him, his tone even and giving nothing away. Godric raised an eyebrow at Rowena, though she ignored it.

"Yeah, and this is a good cause, too!" Ron insisted. "We're serious."

Harry snorted. "No, Sirius is serious."

"Honestly, Harry!" Hermione huffed. "We're in the _past_ and you still make that awful joke."

"He's not here to make it himself," was the boy's only reply, shrugging as if it were obvious.

"We _are_ serious," Hermione promised them, shooting Harry a glare before he could speak up again. "And it might help. There's no way to know when we might need it."

"Alright, need what?" Godric interrupted, amused.

"They would like us to teach them to become Animagi," Rowena told the pair as they sat at their desks. The trio were placed between Salazar and Rowena desks, and they were perfectly at home there with Harry sitting on his father's desk.

"Wonderful idea!" Godric grinned. He winced when Helga slapped his arm lightly. "Er- I mean, only if they are careful and do it for the right reasons."

"We promise to be careful and we won't train unless at least one of you is there," Harry said, glancing between his father and the other Founders.

"I suppose," Salazar sighed. "but you will each be paired with one of us, like with Occlumency… which should actually speed up the process if you apply it. The meditation is often the hardest part of the training."

"Thank you!" Harry gave them his Marauder grin and absentmindedly scratched his scar.

"We promise we won't let you down," Ron said with a firm nod and happy smile.

"Thank you," Hermione said, smiling sweetly at each of them. The seven sat and spoke for a while, drinking the hot chocolates an elf brought them, before finally reaching the matter none of them wanted to touch on.

"Have you found anything?" Harry questioned, looking at Rowena with a blank face.

"Hermione's knowledge of the workings of Time-Turners has been useful, but it is not enough. I believe that, with time, I may be able to… recreate the Sands of Time and face them forward, but it will take me a while."

"How long do you think it'll take?" The question was quiet and careful, and none of them were sure if they actually wanted to know the answer.

Rowena hesitated. "At least a year. Maybe two. I cannot be sure."

"Oh."

"We're… we'll be here for at least a… year?" Ron whispered in confusion. "But… we can't be…"

"I am sorry, Ronald," Rowena said honestly. "But we simply do not have enough information. I promise I will do my best."

"And I'll help as much as I can," Hermione said, offering Ron a shaky smile. "We'll get home."

"You will see your family again," Godric promised.

"Yeah," Ron shrugged quietly and sat down as they moved onto other subjects, though his mind stayed on Ginny and the twins and his family.

* * *

"It wasn't that bad," Harry said, resisting the urge to laugh.

"A chair, Harry!" Hermione screeched, her face read and curls falling angrily around her face. "A _chair_."

"It was an accident," he promised.

" _How do you mess up that bad_?"

"…I wasn't paying attention?"

"Exactly!" She screamed, poking his chest.

"'Mione, I said I'm sorry," he sighed, giving her his best puppy dog eyes, which she promptly ignored.

"You're usually wonderful! What in Godric's name happened?"

"That is slightly rude," Godric mumbled to Helena, who just grinned at watched her friends argue.

"I lost focus," Harry told her, shifting slightly.

" _Why_?"

"…I was talking to Hogwarts."

Hermione fell silent as she processed his words, and Harry glanced over at Ron, who looked very much like he wanted to laugh. Hard.

"You were talking to Hogwarts."

"Yeah, she wanted to tell me that someone had entered the grounds," he shrugged.

"We did have a new student arrive earlier," Helga piped in.

"…so someone entered the grounds and _Hogwarts_ tells you about it?" Hermione blinked.

"Yeah, er-,"

"Harry," Salazar cut in. "Did you happen to explain what happened on the first night of school?"

"Er- no?"

"Harry," Hermione whispered, her tone dangerously level. "What happened that could allow you to speak to Hogwarts and _turn me into a chair_?"

"…blood wards?" He winced. "Accidental, I mean. We didn't mean to, but Uncle Godric was-,"

"Do not blame this on me," Godric huffed. "It was your wand that made the lass angry, not mine."

"Er- right, well, he was blowing up the common room and we-,"

"We?" Hermione raised an eyebrow and Harry winced. He'd never really realized how scary she could be until then.

"Athair and I, we both cast different spells and the blood hit the floor-,"

"Blood?"

"Erm. Aariah accidentally scratched me, so it scratched Athair, too," Harry frowned as he let his thoughts wander on what that could mean, but he shook himself quickly and continued to explain. "But the blood and the spells and our bond made connections with the school and… well, I can talk to her now."

"Her?"

"Hogwarts is a girl."

_I am a female. Not a girl or woman, since I am eternal._

_You're eternal?_

_Yes._

"…female," he corrected.

"So, you and Professor Slytherin tried to stop Professor Gryffindor from blowing up the common room, and your cut arm dripped some blood, so your bond and magic connected you to the school. And then today, she was talking to you and distracted you, which caused you to turn me into a chair," she summarized, waiting for him to correct her. When he just nodded dumbly, she sat back in her seat and closed her eyes. " _Boys._ "

"Well," Godric grinned. "at least we know Harry is more advanced in his transfiguration than we suspected!"

"…Yeah."

* * *

"If we're late to class, your dad's gonna kill us," Ron groaned. "I can't die here. Mum would kill me!"

"You can't die twice, Ronald," Hermione sighed. Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Are you sure? Have you asked the ghosts? Or what if you become a poltergeist? I'm pretty sure they can at least be banished."

"I'm not sure you can _become_ a poltergeist, mate," Ron frowned. "Don't they just… become?"

Both boys looked at Hermione, who sighed dramatically.

"A poltergeist, or 'noisy ghost' in German, is a ghost whose main goal is to torment and cause mayhem and destruction."

"So they are made from people?"

"Yes, they are."

"See?" Harry said, grinning. "You _can_ die twice. Poltergeists can be banished or something, just like ghosts!"

"That's not _dying_ , Harry!" Hermione rolled her eyes as they turned the corner and blinked. "Uh, do you two know where we are?"

The boys looked around and frowned.

"No," Harry sighed. "Where's the Map? Maybe we can find a passage to get to class on time."

"I left it with Professor Ravenclaw in her office. She wanted to look at it, remember?"

"Why don't we just summon it, then?" Ron wondered, looking around.

"Because she has wards around her office that prevent that sort of thing," the girl sighed. "It's a good idea in theory, but…"

"Okay, well, why don't we just go back the way we came?" Harry asked, turning around. "It's gone!"

His friends both followed suit and gasped when they saw that the corridor they came from was, in fact, missing.

"How is that possible?" Hermione wondered aloud.

"Maybe it's like the moving staircases," Ron suggested.

"Maybe," Harry sighed. "How about we keep going? We're near the west entrance, right? We should reach something familiar eventually."

His friends shrugged, having no better ideas, and they kept moving.

"Professor Slytherin's going to give us that look, isn't he?" Ron moped as they walked and Harry rolled his eyes.

"I don't understand why you guys are so worried. Just explain the situation in a way he'll accept and we'll be fine."

"Harry," Hermione said with a small smile. "You're being such a… Slytherin."

"Oh, well that's good, then," Harry grinned. "I'd almost forgotten who adopted me."

"Oh, don't be so sarcastic," she shook her head fondly but fell quiet as they reached a large, stainless steel door.

"'Mione-,"

"No," she agreed. "It shouldn't be here."

"How…?" Ron blinked at it and reached out to touch it, but Harry caught his arm.

"Not until we know it's not a trick."

"How do we do that?" Ron asked him, somewhat annoyed.

"Your magic, Ronald," Hermione sighed and raised her wand. She flashed it over the door and frowned. "That's… odd. It won't let me run any spells on it."

"Maybe you're using the wrong ones?" Harry suggested.

"Harry, can't you just use your connection with Hogwarts to ask us how to get out of here?"

Harry shook his head with a frown. "I haven't been able to talk to her all day, or I'd have done it when we first got lost."

"Something is wrong…" Hermione frowned at the door. "Something is very, very wrong."

"We have to go in," Ron said after a minute. "We can't just stand here. The way out is missing and at least we might know what's going on if we go in."

Hermione paused, eyes wide. "You don't… you don't think it's your vision, do you?"

Her friends' heads shot up, and Ron hesitated. "I don't know. Maybe we should cast the spell, just in case."

"I suppose," Harry sighed.

The three stood in a small circle and got to work reluctantly, doing their best to focus on the ritual and not the extremely out of place door next to them.

When they'd finished, the three took a step forward together, each placing a hand on the door to open it.

It happened in a moment that lasted an eternity. They were sucked into the door as if they were being pulled apart, cell by cell and placed on the other side. It was a pain worse than they'd ever felt before and none of them could stay conscious for it. Shock took over, and the trio passed out cold as they landed on a hard, damp floor.

* * *

"Mmm-ne?" Harry groaned. He couldn't move, and he wasn't sure if he was tied up or if he was paralyzed, or both. "Mione?"

"Harry?" He heard his friend gasp. If he could've sagged in relief, he would've.

"Ron?" He checked next.

"'m here," he heard Ron groan.

"Where are we?" Harry hissed. "I can't move.

"I don't know," Hermione replied quietly. "It's dark and damp and there are more students. Probably all of them."

"I can't really see either," the raven-haired boy admitted. "I think my glasses are missing."

"We're chained up," Ron informed him. "All of us are, you're like… in the middle."

"Very helpful, Ron," Hermione snapped. "He means you're in the middle of the room and separated from the rest of us, but only to show that you're… I don't know, important?"

"He is the child of a Founder," a deep voice informed them. Harry couldn't move or see, so the only way he knew what was happening was from his friends.

"M-Magorian?" Hermione gasped. "What are you doing?"

"Magorian?" Harry said, confused. "The centaur?"

"You know of me?" he asked, amused by their confusion.

"You- you're the leader of the Centaurs," Ron informed him.

"Ronald!" Hermione hissed angrily.

"I am? Wonderful," Harry could _hear_ the centaur's smirk.

"What are you doing this for? What are you doing in general, actually?" Harry asked him. He couldn't speak to Hogwarts and however they'd blinded him had made it impossible to see his magic or his bond with his dad.

"We are taking back what was and should be ours!" The centaur boomed. Harry heard him move closer and could easily tell he'd moved in front of him. "Your kind have driven us from our home and refuse to give it back!"

"Are you sure about that?" Hermione asked softly. "They've taken the castle and grounds. Have you asked to share, or to talk about it?"

"It was ours!" He snapped at her. "They took it!"

"She gave herself to them," Harry corrected. "She told me that she picked them."

"What are you talking about, boy?"

"Hogwarts – the castle. She allowed them to settle here. She likes them. She likes the students and the teachers. She likes the magic and the safety."

"That is ludicrous!" Magorian sniffed. "It is a castle."

"You are a Seer of sorts – surely you can tell. She's alive," Harry told him.

"It is unimportant," the centaur decided. "We will take it back."

"And what about us?" Hermione whispered. Harry wished he could comfort her. She sounded so scared.

"Ah, yes," the centaur seemed to be grinning now, and Harry felt a chill run down his spine. "We will dispose of you, of course."

* * *

"Are we sure this is safe?" Helga wondered, glancing around. They were in the forest. The centaurs had, after years, finally asked to meet. They'd tried multiple times to ask the creatures what they wanted and needed and offer their assistance, but they'd always been somewhat hostile. They'd stopped when a student had been hurt.

"They have suggested a temporary truce and claimed that the stars showed a danger to the both of us," Salazar sighed. "I believe it is important to meet them. It may be what Ron has been seeing in his dreams."

"I do not have a wonderful feeling about this," Godric admitted. "If it is a trap?"

"That is why we left Helena and Théo in the office," Rowena said firmly. "I only wish we had found Hermione, Harry, and Ron."

"Well," Helga sighed. "Let us go. They will be waiting."

The four pushed ahead again, making their way toward the forest. It wasn't until they were deep into it that they heard anything, and when they did, it sounded rushed and panicked. They watched as a centaur – Firenze, they believed – ran toward them, looking somewhat horrified.

"Turn back!" He instructed them. "Turn back and find your children! They are in terrible danger… I am so very sorry. So sorry."

And then he ran off.

It only took the four a split second to turn and run.

* * *


	12. Chapter 12

The screams were driving him mad. He thought they’d been going on for days, but it was possibly only hours. They’d started soon after their ‘conversation’ had ended. It had been Hermione first, he’d known that. Then it was Ron. His screams were less terrifying for some reason.

And then it had been his turn. He hadn’t made noise. He’d let go. It was almost relaxing, the pain. His time under the Cruciatus had been worse than that, and he just let it pass through him. His turn hadn’t lasted long, he thought.

After that, it had been various students of various ages. That was pretty awful to listen to, but he couldn’t do anything about that, so he focused on trying to see his magic or his bond with his father. 

Nothing was working. 

After what felt like a week, he began to wonder if they truly were going to die there. He’d always gotten out of the ridiculous, dangerous situations before. The only difference between those and this one was that he was not the primary target of the attack. He wondered briefly if he had to suffer to survive. 

What a cruel idea of a life. 

With a sigh, he zoned out the scream of a girl that sounded no more than twelve and returned to his happy place – or what was left of it. 

He could barely find it anymore.

* * *

“Why do you believe this is the answer?” Firenze demanded, stomping anxiously. “They have not attacked us – they came out to help us and we attacked them!”

“We would have attacked them,” Bane corrected with a huff. “You sent them away.”

“Yes,” Firenze agreed. “And they hear their children being tortured. We all hear it. It is agonizing, Magorian.”

“It is justice,” the centaur replied shortly. “They should not have taken what was not theirs.”

“The castle cares for them,” the kind centaur informed him. “She chose them. We have everything we need and more in this forest.”

“We do not have our castle.”

“It is not ours!”

“It is now.”

* * *

Rowena wiped at her eyes harshly as she pushed her way into the room. She saw her daughter and heard her sobs, and wanted to comfort her, but she couldn’t. It was her fault – their fault – that this had happened. The students, all of them children and innocent of crimes, were being tortured somewhere in the castle, and they couldn’t find them. 

Everyone heard it at night. The teachers, the Founders, Helena and Théophile, they all heard the screams and sobs. They’d been searching the castle nonstop, but they’d not found anything. 

They had found the trio’s things, but they couldn’t use any of it to find them. Any tracking spell just led them to the nearest wall before fizzling out. They had no clues, and it was driving them crazy.

It had been four days by then, and the screams were fewer and farther between. No one wanted to consider what that meant.

Salazar was the most efficient and showed the least emotion, but his friends knew. They could see the fury raging behind his eyes. When they had the children back safe and sound, the centaurs would see what he had up his sleeve and pray for hell instead.

Helga and Godric were a bit slower than the cunning man, but they worked day and night searching the castle. Rowena hadn’t actually seen them in two days, but she was sure they were around there somewhere – she could still feel their link active, though somewhat strained by exhaustion.

Rowena was forced to research the castle. She’d gone to the Chamber to look through any research they’d had on the way the castle worked, but she’d found nothing so far. She was beginning to think that whatever Magorian had done had to do more with centaurs than Hogwarts herself. 

With a defeated sigh, she plopped down at her desk and began reading her most recent findings on Centaurs. 

* * *

There had been silence for a while. He was scared to wonder why.

“Hermione?”

“I-I’m okay.”

“Ron?”

“Here.”

“We need to do it,” he told them firmly. “But I can’t find my magic.”

“Then just release the emotions you’ve got bundled up,” Hermione told him in a shaky voice. “Accidental magic should overcome any bindings they’ve got on you since you’re so old.”

“How do you know I’ve got enough bundled up?” He frowned.

“…you brood a lot.”

He opened his mouth to reply before closing it again. Maybe she was right. So, he focused. He confronted the Dursley’s. He saw Vernon smacking him and then breaking his leg. He let himself feel the sadness and anger he’d felt when it had happened, and every other time they’d hurt him. He remembered the night he’d found out the truth about James and Lily Potter and embraced the anger and frustration he’d felt, as well as the elation that he’d be getting away from the vial family he’d been placed with.

He saw the years at school when he was neglected and hurt and the times at the Weasley’s when he was so excited to be cared for but jealous of their close knit family. He saw Hermione after the Yule Ball and released the pure anger he’d felt toward Ron when he’d hurt her and the pain in his gut when he’d gone back to tell tell Parvati that he was leaving and found Hermione sobbing on the steps. He released the hatred toward Umbridge and the overwhelming feeling of the crush he’d had on Cho.

And suddenly, he could see again.

It was dark and damp like he’d been told, but it was also filled with about a hundred children, which seemed to be about a third of the school. All of them were hung on racks against the wall and bleeding. He winced at the sight and turned to find Hermione hanging next to him. He gave her a weak smile before finding Ron across from them and nodding at him.

“You guys ready?”

They nodded in confirmation and got to work on releasing their magic.

* * *

“We will find them,” she whispered again. She wondered how many more times until she believed it herself. 

Salazar stopped walking abruptly and gasped, doubling over. Rowena whipped around and rushed back over, placing a hand on his back. “Salazar?”

“It- it’s him,” he groaned, taking haphazard steps back until he leaned against the wall. “I can feel him again.”

“Is he… is he alright?” She asked, terrified for his answer. 

The scream of agony was a better reply than any words he could give. 

“Salazar!” She helped him over to a large rock to sit on. “Breathe, it is alright. We will find him-,”

“They are… doing it,” he hissed at her between groans of pain. “His magic is… emptying…”

“No,” the woman said, her eyes widening in horror. “That was an absolute last resort!”

“From this pain,” her friend said sadly. “I do believe it is their last resort.”

* * *

It took them nearly an hour before they’d gathered enough magic in the middle of them. The first thing they did was release themselves, which turned out to be rather painful. When they finished, they stood together with Harry in the middle and his friends on either side of him.

“ _ Sanare omnes, _ ” the trio muttered in unison. They saw some of the injuries on the students heal easily and then joined hands for the hard part. 

“ _ Libero _ ,” they said. Their united magic spread out across the room and released the students before gently transporting them to the infirmary, almost like apparating but much gentler. 

When they were gone, Ron and Hermione worked to pull their magic back in, meditating to get it done. Harry agreed to be the lookout, which turned out to be a good idea.

“Where did they go?!” He heard Magorian bellow angrily. He turned around weakly and gave the man his favorite Marauder smirk.

“Home.”

It was a quick fight. The centaur ran at him with his bow drawn and Harry raised his magical shield. When an arrow slammed through it, the boy swore softly. He knew what he had to do.

_ Athair? _

_ I am here, Harry. We have been looking for you. For all of you. _

_ I’m sorry. I was supposed to learn a lot and you were supposed to help me win the war. _

_ Harry- _

_ Please take care of Hermione and Ron. Keep them safe. _

_ I will, but-  _

_ Thank you. _

Harry pulled the rest of his magic from his core and tossed it at the centaur, using the type of magic that Salazar had warned him against using much. The man had also warned them that if they didn’t have a sufficiently full core, it could kill them. Harry heard the words repeated in his head as he spoke. “Magorian, for this crime, you will never leave the Forbidden Forest again. Stay there and remember what you’ve done and why you’re there. And next time, remember that peace is always an option.”

And with a bright, fantastic light, the centaur disappeared from the room, leaving Harry to crumple to the ground.

_ -did you do? Harry! _

_ I helped.  _

_ You were never meant to use that in such a way, Harry! Where are Hermione and Ron? _

_ They thought it was over. I was just keeping guard. It’s not their fault.  _

_ I do not wish to lose you as well. _

_ ‘m always gonna be here. Can’t… get rid of me that easy. _

_ You are dying. _

_ It was worth it. _

He barely heard his friends rushing to his side as he faded away. It was only a few seconds later that Hermione let out a choked sob and informed Ron that he had no heartbeat.

Harry Potter was dead.

* * *


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I want to explain the binding, the centaurs thing, and how that works.
> 
> Any centaur that means to cause harm to Hogwarts inhabitants cannot leave the forest again. They are stuck there. So, Bane and Magorian can't leave, for example. Firenze, however, can go wherever he wants.
> 
> And then, this binding or curse - or whatever you'd like to call it - will last until Harry's magic leaves forever. So since he came back to life, they're still stuck. But after Harry, if he's had any children, they'll carry this binding in their magic as well.
> 
> So essentially, the centaurs that want to hurt any of Hogwarts inhabitants are stuck in the forest until Harry's line dies off forever.
> 
> Also, this chapter is a bit short, sorry. It was meant to be posted with chapter twelve but… I separated them for some reason and while I don’t remember that, I’m sure it was a good one. Maybe. I dunno man.

"It's too bright," Harry hissed as he squeezed his eyes shut. "Death is too bright, take me back."

There was a bark of laughter and he started and blinked his eyes open in surprise, only to push himself back as he realized he was looking at… himself?

"He sounds like you waking up in the morning," a voice said in amusement. He turned his head slowly to find a beautiful woman leaning against a bench with a boy not much older than him sitting on it. He turned back to himself and reached out, poking him.

"I'm dead," he announced, more to himself than to them.

"I thought Moony taught you the smart stuff," the other him complained. Harry frowned and blinked, leaning closer. As he looked at the face, he realized one thing that was glaringly obviously wrong.

"You have brown eyes."

"And beautiful ones at that,” the man said with a giant grin. In fact, it was the same grin Sirius gave him when he'd done something to Lupin's hair or skin or drink.

"…oh."

"And he's figured it out," James announced, laughing softly. "Lily, you owe me five galleons."

"You have money in death?" Harry asked with a frown.

"No," Lily rolled her eyes. "But he likes to joke."

"So… who is that?" he asked his dad softly, nodding at the boy on the bench who had been observing them with an odd smile.

"Oh, that's Alasdair," James said with a confused look. "He's your family."

"Alasdair… that sounds familiar," Harry frowned as he tried to figure it out. "You're- oh. My… what, my brother?"

"Yes," the boy nodded with an encouraging smile. "That is what we would be."

"But… no offense, it's great to meet you, but why are you here?" Harry questioned. "I understand my parents, but…"

"You forget," the boy said, giving Harry a sad smile. "the bond you forged with Father."

"What are you- oh," Harry's eyes widened. "Oh."

"Do not feel bad," Alasdair demanded. "This is important."

"But he's dead!" Harry shouted. He felt James's hand on his shoulder and immediately relaxed. "I died, and so he died as well."

"I do not regret it," a voice announced. Harry whipped around to see Salazar standing behind him where he'd woken up. "Do you?"

"Well, no, those students were hurt, but-,"

"Exactly," the man nodded firmly. "I only wish you had lived."

"It's… it's fine," Harry said, lying through his teeth.

"Padfoot's right," James snorted. "You're an awful liar."

"What- but Sirius isn't dead," the boy blinked. James snorted. 

"He likes to talk to us, update us on you as if we’re not already watching," he explained, turning back to Salazar. "You adopted him."

"Yes."

"It's probably the Potter luck that I ended up being somewhat related to Salazar Slytherin," he said with a laugh and a grin. "But you're not so bad."

"Father," the boy – Alasdair – called, gaining Salazar's attention. The man turned to him and finally seemed to  _ see _ his son. He moved quickly over to reunite with him as Harry turned back to James and Lily.

"Where are we?" he asked as Lily moved over to scoop him up in a hug. James joined a moment later, and the family stayed like that quietly for a long moment before Lily answered him.

"The In Between," she waved around. "You and Salazar are in between life and death."

"But we died."

"Yes, but there were other… complications," she explained, tapping his scar lightly. "The Horcrux in your head, it died and brought you along."

"You see that thing there?" James asked, pointing under a bench nearby. Harry ducked down and saw  _ something _ curled in a ball, shaking. He shuddered at the sight. "Yeah, not very pretty. That's your Horcrux- er, Voldy's Horcrux."

"James," Lily frowned. "Be serious."

"I can't," the man grinned.

"Sirius is Sirius," Harry finished, laughing at the exasperated look Lily shot him.

" _ Anyway _ ," she gave them each a stern look and continued for her husband. "when you drained all of your magic, you began to die. Well Horcruxes will do anything to protect their host so they can live, so it protected you, in a way. It will die completely, and you will have a choice."

"To stay here or go back," James told him, placing his hands on his shoulders and giving him a serious look. "It is your decision, but don't forget what you have there. You have your friends – brilliant, by the way, love them – and you have your family. You have Padfoot and Moony. You have so much back there."

"We'll always be waiting here for you," Lily promised. "Anytime you come back, we'll be here. But there's only one time you can go back to them, and that's now."

"You- you want me to leave you?" Harry blinked at his parents in confusion.

"Never," James said firmly. "But we want you to live your life to the fullest potential, and that isn't done by dying at fifteen just because you met your silly old parents."

"You have Salazar," Lily reminded Harry in a whisper, nodding to the man who was hugging his departed son fiercely. "And only you can take him back, Harry. Whatever decision, you must make it together. Where you go, he goes, and vice versa."

"It's just… I've just met you," Harry muttered, wiping harshly at the tears threatening to fall. "and I have to lose you again?"

"We'll be right here with you," James reminded him. "We've always been with you. From the present to the past, we've followed you and we will continue to do so. Even if we have to watch our entire lives over again," he winked and Lily rolled her eyes.

"You really think I should go," Harry said, looking for a flicker of doubt in their eyes. Seeing none, he sighed and pushed his hair out of his face. "Okay. Fine. Fine. But… promise me you'll be here?"

"We promise," they said together with more honesty and seriousness than he'd ever heard before when given a promise.

"We love you, Harry," Lily informed him.

"And we're so proud of you," James winked the way Sirius often did as the pair stepped back from him.

"And so are Sirius and Remus," Lily added. "They love you. They didn't mean to ever leave you, love. Let them be your family when you get back. I trust them.” Harry took the words to heart. He didn’t think he could ignore them. His mother was giving him advice and he intended to follow it. 

"But you have to go now, Harry," James said, giving him a sad smile. "Time's up."

"Thank you," the boy whispered as he was pulled into a hug by his parents. "Thank you."

* * *

The first thing Harry heard when he came back was Hermione sobbing violently. He could feel himself in her lap and shifted a little to alert her to his… aliveness.

"Harry!" She gasped through her sobs. He winced as her grip tightened again and reached out for her hand as he opened his eyes and gave her a small smile. "You're… you were…”

"Dead," he finished. "Yeah, I'd noticed."

"How'd you come back?" She asked, blinking her tears away.

"Uh… my parents?"

"Harry, your parents are-,"

"Dead, I know," he rolled his eyes. "but so was I."

"Oh."

"Where's Ron?" the raven-haired boy asked suddenly as he realized his best mate was missing.

"He… he went to find the Founders," Hermione sniffed, and he patted her arm gently. He really did feel bad for upsetting her so much. "Said there was something wrong."

"Shit," Harry swore loudly, pushing himself from her grasp and off the floor he was lying on. "Shit! Hogwarts told me to get to him right away!" He ignored her confused yelling and sped from the room to find his way to Salazar.

When he got to his father, his heart dropped. He'd hoped to find him alive and well, since he was, but the man was lying on the ground next to Rowena, who was crying silently. Harry nodded firmly at himself and rushed over, gently pushing past the Founder and settling himself next to his father.

"Hogwarts told me to find you," he explained, feeling the urge to just talk, to tell the dead man what he was thinking and feeling. "When my parents sent me back, I thought you would follow me, but I guess not. Look, I understand why you'd want to stay. But Athair, there's too much more for you remaining here."

" _ There was more remaining for him, too," Salazar replied. He knew his son couldn't hear him, but he didn't care. _

"And there was more for my parents, but they left me. And now I'm here with you. What does that tell you?"

" _ Your parents were murdered by a cruel, despicable man. My son was stolen from me in a battle he did not understand." _

"And the thing is, my parents promised they'd be by my side forever. I just think that your son would be as well."

" _ Perhaps," Salazar sighed. "But it is not the same as having him alive, living a life. Nor is it the same as being able to speak with him." _

"It's just that I've only just found you. I trust you. I dunno if I could lose someone else," Harry admitted, staring at his hands. "I don't think I can do it alone anymore, Athair."

_ Salazar paused. How could he argue that? Harry was asking him for help. He could never say no. Not when he'd promised to keep him safe and care for him. _

" _ Okay." _

Harry let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding when he saw his father begin to stir. "Professor Ravenclaw! He's waking up."

Once they'd done a quick check to make sure the man was alright, the two escorted him to the infirmary where Salazar got checked by Rowena and Harry was checked and scolded by Helga for not going there sooner.

All of the other students had been taken care of rather quickly. The trio had healed more than they'd meant to, and the kids had been sent to their dorms with little more than trauma as a reminder of the events.

Ron and Hermione were nowhere to be found, and Harry assumed they were with Helena and Théo, which he didn't mind. He wasn't sure he could be with them again so soon.

The pair spent the night and the next day in the hospital wing just in case before they were released and the made their way to meet their friends in the Founders' office.

" _ You can't, _ " Harry told his father in Parseltongue.

" _ Yes, I can, _ " Salazar replied, his gaze falling on the black-haired boy.

" _ No! He's alive in our time, we met him. You can't change time. You never know what could cause us to not come here. _ "

" _ He tortured you and your friends. My students, _ " his father shot back, fury raging in his eyes once more.

" _ Yes, but it's done with. We can't change it. Let the next eight hundred years happen. Please. I banished him to the forest. He can't hurt me or anyone else again." _

" _ You died. _ "

" _ So did you, _ " Harry snorted. " _ And look at us now, strolling through Hogwarts. _ "

" _ We are lucky _ ," Salazar reminded him quietly. " _ That should have been permanent. _ "

" _ You knew, didn't you?" _ Harry stopped walking and looked up at his father. " _ You knew I had to die to get rid of the Horcrux. _ "

" _ I would have found a way, _ " the man denied sharply.

" _ But you knew, _ " Harry sighed and looked at the ceiling. A group of teenagers passed them and he managed a small smile. Not many students had left their dorms in the past day and it was nice to see some of them, even if they were just passing to another common room to see their friends.

" _ I am sorry, _ " Salazar whispered as they entered the office.

" _ Tell me next time you learn I'm gonna die, okay? I'd wanna do stuff. Like… stuff." _

" _ Wonderful explanation, son _ ," Salazar's lips twitched as they took their seats. Ron and Hermione were immediately at their friend's side, checking him over since they'd not been able to see him for more than a minute after he'd come back.

When everyone settled down, Godric sat up straighter and turned to his godson. "Harry, we are not upset with you-,"

"Speak for yourself," Hermione muttered. The look on everyone else's faces said they agreed with her, but Godric ignored the comment.

"-but we do need to know what exactly you did to end it."

"I- I'm not sure. I just got so angry at him. I told him that he had to stay in the forest forever, and then… something about anyone else that wanted to hurt us…" he shook his head with a frown. "It's kinda blurry."

"But we can't attack them," Hermione said before anyone could respond. She knew the Founders would be furious and likely want revenge. "Some of them are from our time and it's important that we leave them be."

"We know it's awful, what they did," Harry said softly, looking at his hands. "But we can't change  _ anything _ ."

"They cannot simply get away with what they have done!" Godric frowned heavily at the children.

"But they didn't!" Harry denied, shaking his head. "They're trapped in the forest. We're all safe again. Please, just leave it."

It was quiet for a moment as the Founders considered his words, and Helga was the one to break the silence.

"We will begin working on wandless magic so that you are not forced to drain yourself again," she informed them. Hermione's eyes lit up as if it were Christmas at the news, and even Ron was grinning.

"But we were told it's really hard," the bushy-haired girl said reluctantly. "Almost impossible."

"If you are being taught by competent teachers, it is not too difficult for someone of your level," Salazar said with a blank face. It was obvious he was not going to be in a better mood any time soon.

"Yes, well," Rowena straightened up. "unless there is anything more you need to speak about, I think you will be wanting time alone, no?"

"Yeah," Harry agreed, getting to his feet once more. "and sleep. Sleep sounds good."

The trio said goodnight and quickly made their way back to their rooms, settling in the sitting room to talk. The first thing they spoke of was the Horcrux, and Harry realized when Hermione began crying that she'd known he had to die as well. He pushed aside the muted anger at that and told them about his parents and their conversation.

It was a long night spent talking and reassuring each other, and they had no doubt the Founders were having similar conversations, but the trio were just glad to be back with each other. What had happened was terrifying and scarring, but they could move on. They were strong and they knew it, so they leaned on each other and went back to their daily lives soon, doing their best to act like nothing had happened.

* * *


	14. Chapter 14

It had been two weeks since the students had been saved and Salazar and Harry had come back to life and things were slowly getting back to normal. Classes had begun a week later after ensuring that everyone was truly okay, and only a few students had decided to go home. Word had gotten out pretty quickly that it was the trio that saved everyone from the centaurs and they’d been treated with awe since then.

Salazar was still furious with the centaurs and because the trio was insistent that the centaurs had to be there in the future, he began cutting off the supplies that was regularly brought to them, like a refresher on the charm that filtered their water. It was the least he could do to get back at them, though he personally thought that nothing would ever be enough to make up for the pain and suffering of his students, not to mention the death of his son. 

Harry and Ron were in class with Godric, working with the daggers they’d been given. To everyone’s surprise, Hermione had already mastered it, claiming only that her mother had wanted to keep her safe. She’d refused to say any more, so of course, Harry and Ron refused to leave her alone about it. 

Salazar was pacing through the halls when he noticed Hermione in the courtyard, frowning down at her lap. He considered walking away, consumed in his own thoughts and emotions, but he reminded himself that the students were the most important thing and made his way over. 

“Hermione,” he greeted, walking out to meet her. She looked up in surprise at him and got to her feet quickly. 

“Oh, I’m sorry, Professor Slytherin,” she said in a rush. “Am I late for class?” 

“No,” he assured her. “You seem troubled.” 

She nodded quietly, her mind slipping back to her thoughts. “It’s about the… test.” 

He sighed. He’d truly hoped she would be able to forgive them for it. “I see.” 

“I’m not- no, I’m not upset,” she assured him, understanding easily why he seemed disappointed. “It’s just… when I asked who we fought, you told me Professor Gryffindor had us fight the person most dangerous, most threatening to us in our lives.” 

“That is correct.” 

“Ron fought no one,” she said slowly. “And Harry fought Voldemort, rightfully so.” 

“You wish to know who you fought,” he guessed. At her nod, he sat on the bench, thinking. “Godric retrieved those images, those people, from your futures. Ron’s was to be himself.” 

“Himself?” 

“He struggles with himself more than anyone else,” Salazar confirmed. “As for you, it was a man named Antonin Dolohov.” 

“He’s… a Death Eater,” Hermione frowned, trying to remember anything about him. “I did some research on known death eaters and their families and Sirius helped me with it, too. He only told me that Dolohov joined Voldemort at a very young age and that he was… vile. Why do you think he’s my biggest threat?” 

“I cannot be sure,” Salazar told her regretfully. “Godric may be able to help you.” 

“By reading tea leaves?” she asked, making a face. He let out a small laugh. Though they’d explained that Divinition should never have been a class for the entire school, Hermione was still skeptical about the practice. Ron and Godric both were clearly Seers, but she had issue with the concept of being able to see the future. Salazar supposed that as a muggleborn, it wasn’t unreasonable that she would have a hard limit in her mind of what certainly couldn’t be possible. Still, he found it ironic that the one magical practice she didn’t believe in was the one that would help her. 

“There’s a spell, a very old one that only Seers can use. It is a bit like Legilimency except you can read into the future, into scenes from the future. It is never guaranteed, but it shows the most likely event.” 

“And do you think he’d be willing to do that for me?” 

Salazar smiled. “You are our student, Hermione. If this man is your biggest threat, then we will help you to the best of our abilities.” 

“Thank you, Professor.” 

Salazar nodded and quietly led her down to the armory where Godric grinned at Harry and Ron, who were sweating and gasping for air. “Did you not say you’d play nice?” 

Godric let out a bright laugh. “Your son is weak, Salazar. He was winded within two minutes!” 

“Okay, sure, but so was Ron,” Harry called out between gasps, feeling rather offended. 

“Godric, Hermione would like your help,” Salazar said, indicating the girl by his side. “It is about the test we gave them.” 

“Ah,” Godric nodded. “Come, let us go somewhere less… sweaty.” 

Hermione spared a glance at Harry and Ron before following out her Head of House, leaving two confused boys behind. 

“What’re they doing?” Ron asked curiously, wiping the sweat from his brow with a spare rag. 

“Hermione had a question about the man she fought,” Salazar explained. “Godric should be able to help her figure it out.” 

“I was worried she’d get lost in the Room that day,” Harry sighed. “It didn’t occur to me until after I sent the Patronus.” 

“Yes, about that,” Salazar looked at his son. “What was that room? We never managed to ask.” 

“Oh, it’s… wait, you guys don’t know about it?” Harry looked at him with wide eyes. When his father just stared at him with a raised eyebrow, he blushed. “Right, sorry. It’s called the Room of Requirement, or the Room of Hidden Things, and it can turn into whatever you need it to be. Like we used it for defense lessons and things. My friend Neville used it for a bathroom once.” 

“The Room of Hidden Things,” Salazar hummed. “I assume you put hidden things in there?” 

“Uh,” Harry scratched his head, embarrassed. “I don’t actually know. I’ve never looked for that. I think Mione did."

“Well, perhaps we should go see it.” 

“Anything to get us away from these daggers,” Ron breathed, tossing his rag to the floor. 

* * *

Godric took his place at his desk, looking at the nervous Hermione across from him. “I assume Salazar told you his name?” 

“Yes,” she confirmed. “And I know a little bit about him already. He went to school with Sirius and Harry’s parents and was one of the first at Hogwarts to join Voldemort. Sirius said he did some pretty… horrible things, but he refused to tell me more. One of Voldemort’s favorites, too.” 

“Well,” Godric said, looking at her. “That will help us get a better glimpse at him. This spell will be like Legilimens. It’ll help me look into a very specific part of your future, the day you first meet him. Are you ready?”

“I think so,” she nodded before pausing. “What if it’s bad?” 

“Then we will handle it,” he assured her. “And give you a way to keep yourself safe.” 

“Okay,” she nodded firmly this time. “I’m ready.” 

“ _ Legilimens visus posterum _ ,” he whispered, his eyes locked on hers. She gasped as she felt a slight pain and then a memory that wasn’t a memory play through her mind for both of them to see. 

_ “Let go of me,” Hermione whimpered, struggling against the man behind her. They were in a dark, rough room with rocks and tile all around them, and she could see Harry and Sirius fighting at the middle of the room. She pulled her arm back and elbowed the man’s stomach. He released her but grabbed her by the wrist again before she could escape. He twisted her around to look down at her and he gasped, a sight and sound that worried her.  _

_ The man had jaw-length curly black hair and aristocratic features that were unfairly beautiful. His eyes were a sharp blue and pierced her soul. She struggled still against him, but his grip on her wrist was tight enough that she worried he might break it. His other hand came up to stroke her cheek and she winced back, throwing her hand up to punch him. He was too quick and grabbed that wrist as well, smirking at her.  _

_ “You’re gorgeous,” he whispered into her ear, his breath tickling her neck. “And feisty. I think I’ll keep you. Granger, isn’t it? The Dark Lord did tell me I could have a pet.”  _

_ “Let me go!” She cried again, attempting to twist her body out of her hold. It didn’t work, but she did catch sight of Bellatrix pointing her wand at Sirius, who was standing in front of the Veil. “Sirius! Move!”  _

_ The man did, just barely in time, and the curse hit Lucius instead and sent him into the Veil. She felt a sick appreciation as she watched him die, but was shocked out of her thoughts by a  _ bite _ on her wrist. She let out a yelp and looked back to see him smirking at her still. He released her newly bleeding wrist and pointed his wand at her, casting too quick for her to stop him.  _

_ “ _ Anima coniungere _ ,” he muttered. A white light hit her and she felt something painful move through the bite mark and into her core, her soul, before he finally released her and shoved her forward so he could apparate out of the battle.  _

The pair left her mind and she frowned, confused and scared by what she’d seen. Godric, however, looked furious, which only confused her. “Professor Gryffindor? What was that spell?” 

“Very old, even for us,” he ground out, getting to his feet. “I will need… Rowena’s help with this,” he told her. “Please go find your friends.” 

“But what did he do-,” 

“Hermione,” he snapped. “Do as I say. Go find your friends. I believe they are on the seventh floor.” 

She nodded quietly, startled by how serious he was, and left him to his rage-filled thoughts. 

* * *

“It’s not working,” Harry complained. “Hermione usually makes the rooms.” 

“Let me try,” Ron offered. Harry stepped aside and he and Salazar watched as the redhead paced back and forth, only for nothing to happen. “I don’t understand.” 

Salazar looked up before anyone else and saw Hermione frowning at her feet as she walked down the hall. She walked past Ron without even looking up or, apparently, noticing him. When she was about to run into Harry, the boy spoke up. 

“Mione,” he said, startling her. She looked around with wide eyes, surprised to see them. 

“Oh,” she blinked. “I’m sorry.” 

“What’s wrong with you?” Ron asked. She ignored him and frowned at Harry. 

“What are you doing?” 

“We’re trying to find the Room of Hidden Things,” he explained. “But it won’t show up.”

“You have to be thinking the exact right thing,” she explained, turning around to pace silently in front of the wall. When she stopped, a door slowly appeared. “See?” 

“Brilliant,” Ron grinned, opening the door. “Merlin, there’s a lot of stuff in here.” 

Harry rushed to catch up with his friend as he entered the room, but Hermione just moved on. Salazar paused, putting a hand on her shoulder to stop her. 

“Did you get what you wanted?” 

“Maybe,” she shook her head. “I just don’t understand… Professor Gryffindor wouldn’t explain it to me. He got angry and sent me away.” 

Salazar blinked in surprise. He wasn’t sure he could remember the last time the man had gotten angry in front of a student. It was certainly cause for concern, whatever had happened. “What happened?” 

“I don’t know,” she shook her head, clearly frustrated. “I didn’t recognize the spell. He said it was old, really old, even for you guys. But what does it mean?” 

“What did it do?” 

Hermione shrugged helplessly. “Nothing that I could see. He just hit me with it and then shoved me so he could apparate away. I didn’t seem… hurt or anything, aside from maybe my wrists.” 

“Your wrists?” 

She scrunched up her nose. “He grabbed them and was holding them really tightly. He also… bit one. Hard enough that it bled.” 

“Do you remember the spell?” 

She thought back to it. “ _ Anima coniungere _ ,” she said slowly, trying to pronounce it just right. Salazar stiffened and she blinked. “Professor, what is it?” 

“You are certain that was it?” 

“Yes, completely,” she promised. “Why? What does it do?” 

He stared at her before putting an effort into looking more relaxed. “I’m certain we will find a fix for it before sending you back. Not to worry, Hermione.” 

“But Professor Gryffindor-,”

“Sometimes overreacts when his students are in danger,” Salazar bit out, ignoring the bile rising in his throat. “How about we follow Harry and Ron?” 

Hermione stared at the man suspiciously for a long minute before she nodded. “What are they doing in there, anyway?” 

“I asked to see it. We did not know this room existed.” 

“It exists outside of time, too,” she explained. “It’s as full as it was the first day I saw it.” 

“Interesting.” 

Hermione stared at the man for another long second before she turned and followed Harry and Ron into the room, Salazar walking behind her. “ _ Expecto Patronum _ ! Take me to Harry and Ron.” 

Her otter swam through the air and led them to the boys, who were standing at a pile of things not too far away. Ron grabbed at a book but upon seeing the name, Hermione cringed. “Put that down, Ron.”

“Why?” 

‘Because that’s something that  _ I  _ put in here.” 

Her friends looked at her in surprise. “Why?” Harry asked, glancing over at it. “ _ Souls and How To Manipulate Them _ ?”

She nodded. “I found it in Grimmauld Place. It’s probably one of the darkest books there and when Sirius noticed it, he told me to burn it when I was done. Then about twenty minutes later he came back and told me to never read more than the first two chapters. He’s never restricted my access to his books like that so… I listened.”

“But… you didn’t burn it,” Ron frowned. “Why?” 

She looked to Salazar before looking back at her friends. “It’s dark, some of the darkest magic, but… it’s information. I hid it away here because I assumed no one would find it. One book in… all of this.”

Salazar took the book from Ron. “As it turns out, this book may be able to help us with a problem that has just arisen.”

“Really?”

“It is possible.” 

Harry shook his head. “I didn’t realize you talked to Sirius so much.” 

Hermione blushed lightly. “Well, I spent the entire summer at Grimmauld Place. Mrs. Weasley was so mean to him and he seemed… overwhelmed. He didn’t mind answering my questions and I liked his stories. Plus, we were both really worried about you.” 

Harry frowned at her. His contact with his friends that summer had been limited, but even so, she hadn’t mentioned that she hadn’t gone home at all. “All summer?” 

“My parents,” she shrugged. “We fought.” 

“Rowena’s diadem,” Salazar said, glancing at another stack of things in surprise. “How did that get here?” 

“The lost diadem,” Hermione’s eyes widened, staring at it. “ _ Accio diadem _ !” 

Harry watched as the tiara flew into her hands and she winced. “What is it?” 

“It feels… wrong,” she muttered, flipping it over in her hands. She shivered, feeling suddenly sick and angry. Salazar grabbed it from her and frowned, waving his wand over it. As soon as it was out of her hands, the feeling disappeared and she felt fine once more. 

“You are right, Hermione,” he told her. “This… is a Horcrux.” 

“Fuck,” Ron whispered, earning himself a stern look from Hermione. 

“How do we destroy it?” Harry asked. “We can’t exactly kill it like me.”

“Oh, that should be simple,” Salazar assured them. “We just have to retrieve some venom from the Chamber and imbue a dagger or something of the like with it.” 

“I destroyed the diary with one of her fangs,” Harry told his father, wincing. He still felt bad for killing the poor creature, especially since he knew now that she was meant to protect the school. 

“Rowena will be so upset,” Salazar sighed, looking around. “I think it best to take care of this immediately. As for this room… I’d request none of you enter the Room of Hidden things without one of us. It seems less than safe and very easy to get lost.” 

“Not a problem,” Ron muttered, taking a step away from the piles. “This place gives me the creeps.” 

* * *

“Let’s review the things we need to take care of before they leave with the little information they’ve been able to give us,” Rowena said, sitting in their office with her friends. “One, Voldemort wants to rule the wizarding world and get rid of muggles, muggleborns, and halfbloods. He is prophesied to fight Harry, and Harry is supposed to kill him.” 

“Two,” Salazar continued. “Voldemort created likely seven Horcruxes. Three have already been destroyed, including his diary, your diadem, and the one inside Harry. The kids have no clue what the others might be, although Hermione has guessed he used something of each of ours, which is supported by the diadem.” 

“Three,” Helga frowned. “Dumbledore is troublesome and seems to be holding every card very close to his chest. He’s controlled Harry’s life thus far and according to the kids, he’s treated like an all-knowing god.” 

“Four,” Godric said quietly, rolling his wand between his fingers, his eyes dark. “Dolohov did everything required to finish the spell and we have to find something to fix it for Hermione before he can truly use it against her.”

“Five, where Harry goes in the future,” Salazar frowned deeply. “Dumbledore refuses to let him away from his aunt and uncle to stay with his godfather.” 

“Which brings us back to the Dumbledore problem,” Helga agreed. 

“He seems to be at the center of many issues,” Rowena narrowed her eyes. “What do you want to bet that he knows about the Horcruxes, but further, he knows about Harry being one?” 

“It seems to me,” Godric said slowly. “That we know what our only solution is.” 

“Helena,” Rowena reminded him sadly. “What of her?” 

“We discuss it with her,” Salazar suggested. “Perhaps bring her along.” 

“Are we all in agreement?” Godric asked, looking between his friends. Salazar was the first to nod his agreement, followed by Helga. The three turned to look at Rowena. 

“If Helena believes she will be fine, then I’ll agree.” 

* * *

Harry winced as Hermione pulled him quickly down the hall, running to the office. He sped up and wiggled his arm free of her grip, matching her pace now. “We’re not that late!” 

“Yes, we are,” she snapped back, coming to an abrupt stop in front of the griffin guarding the office. The thing shook its head at them and opened up, and they jumped on the stairs, waiting impatiently as they moved up to the office. 

“You’re late,” Rowena said, looking between the two. “Why?” 

“We were dueling with  Théo and Helena,” Harry blushed apologetically. “We lost track of time.” 

“I can’t believe I was on time and you weren’t,” Ron laughed. He’d spent the morning with Godric working on his Animagus form, something that Hermione and Harry had already mastered. For once, Ron wasn’t upset that he was last but rather more determined to get his done perfectly. It had worked well, and by the end of their morning lesson, he’d found his form, which turned out to be the same as his Patronus. 

“We’re very sorry, Professors,” Hermione told them, looking between the serious looking adults. “Is something wrong?” 

“Not at all,” Rowena promised her. “Why don’t you sit? We’ve got some news.” 

They did as they were told and waited while the founders seemed to silently argue over who would begin. 

“We know this time has been very tough for you all,” Helga began. “And we know that when you return to your own time, it’ll be difficult then, too. You all have unfair challenges ahead of you. We have tried working out a way to equip you with the tools to handle all of this on your own, but…” 

“But we don’t think it is possible,” Salazar continued for her. “But we have an idea on how to ensure your safety.” 

“Oh,” Harry frowned. “Okay.” 

Rowena took in a breath and looked between them. “I believe, with Salazar’s help, I have found you a way back to your rightful time that does not involve the Sands of Time."

“What?” Hermione gasped, jumping to her feet. “Really? How? Is it like the time turner? Because I had another theory last night, and I thought that maybe-.”

“Mione,” Ron interrupted. “Let the woman talk!” 

Hermione blushed and sat back down. Rowena gave her an amused smile that faded back into her serious frown. 

“It will send you to your magical guardian,” Rowena explained. “We decided to use Hermione’s.” 

All three kids paused in surprise. 

“But… I’m muggleborn.” 

“Yes,” Helga agreed. “But you created a connection with a wizard who accepted it, and he became your magical guardian.” 

“ _ Who _ ?”

“Sirius Black.” 

She frowned at them. “Sirius isn’t- what?” 

“Shouldn’t Sirius be  _ my _ magical guardian?” Harry asked, looking between his friend and the founders. 

“He would be, except…” Godric sighed. “Dumbledore seems to be your magical guardian. Or he was until Sal adopted you.”

“Merlin’s sake,” Harry muttered, annoyed once more with the meddling old wizard. “And Hermione, what, bonded with him over the summer?” 

“It seems it began when you both saved him in your third year,” Salazar disagreed. “If I had to guess, I’d say she reminds him of your mother, Harry.” 

Harry looked at his best friend before nodding in acceptance. “Yeah, I guess she probably would.” 

“But… does Sirius know?” Hermione wondered curiously. 

“He could not accept it if he did not know,” Helga confirmed. “You can ignite it without knowing but he cannot accept it without the intent to do so. I would guess he accepted it so that, should you be in trouble, he can help you."

“That is not all,” Salazar said, cutting off the conversation to gain their attention again. “Since it is so difficult to cover every aspect necessary, we’ve made a decision.” 

“We will be coming with you.” 

The three kids fell completely silent, but Harry reacted first but shooting up and wrapping his arms around his father, who hugged him back in surprise. Through their bond, there was nothing but relief and love vibrating to each of them. 

“What about Helena?” Hermione asked quietly as she looked at Rowena. The woman gave a sad smile. 

“We’ve already spoken,” she promised. “She and Théo will take over the school with the help of Emrys, who arrived again yesterday.”

Hermione had a small frown on her face as she thought hard about all the stories of the Grey Lady and the Bloody Baron that she’d heard. “I don’t understand. We heard so many stories…"

“Maybe they’re wrong,” Ron suggested. “Like your mob mentally thing.” 

“Mob mentality, Ronald,” she looked at him, exasperated. “But it can’t be. These are stories that they themselves told students.” 

“Perhaps they lied.” 

“It’s possible,” she agreed slowly. “But I’d have to talk to them and make sure they knew…” 

“We have many things to prepare for,” Salazar told her. “But we will leave this week. You can speak to them before then.” 

“We’re really going back with you?” Harry asked, looking at his father. The man offered him a small smile and a nod, and Harry’s eyes lit up happily. 

He was finally, truly, going to have a father in his life. 

* * *


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I fixed the messed up chapter 11. I'm sorry it took me so long, I was... incapable of fixing it last night after it was brought to my attention that it had been messed up. I wasn't going to post anything today because I wanted to focus on writing a different story today, but I feel bad for accidentally skipping past one of the most important chapters, so I'll give you a few chapters today.

There were preparations to be made before the seven left for the future once more. Aside from showing Helena,  Théo, and Emrys how to run the school and teach the classes they’d be teaching, the Founders had to put their wills in the Chamber as well as a detailed description of what had happened since the trio had arrived and other important documents. Some additional protections against Dumbledore, they told the trio, as well as Voldemort. 

More than preparing the school for their departure, they refused to leave until the year let out, simply for the fact that Rowena didn’t want to cut Helena’s education short. No one had many issues with that, especially as the year was almost finished and it gave them time to review what they’d learned before heading back to the future. 

It was how they found themselves in what they thought was a bit like exams, wandering around the castle between founders and showing off the skills they’d learned. 

“Ah, shit,” Ron hissed, ducking to avoid the curses rapidly flying at him. “Protego!” When his shield came up and successfully blocked the curses, he began casting silently. First, he threw a jet of water at the floor and almost immediately froze it. Not only did Helena slip, but her shoes froze to the floor as well, and he took the opportunity to disarm her and press his wand to her victoriously. 

“Good job,” Godric praised, unfreezing the floor and releasing his niece. 

“Yes, and perhaps you can do it next time with fewer profanities,” Helena joked, imitating her mother. Ron let out a small laugh and handed her wand back over before he looked at his Head of House. 

“So?” 

“You did well, just as you did with muggle weaponry,” the man assured him. “You’ve passed my tests.”

“I’ll see you later, uncle,” Helena said, kissing the man on the cheek before slipping out of the room. Ron knew her schedule was packed tighter than ever before and she was running around like a gnome with its head cut off. 

“How did Harry do?” Ron asked, tucking his wand back his pocket for the moment. Godric handed him a rag and he took it gratefully, wiping his brow. 

“Well,” Godric assured him. “This was your last test, Ron. How are you feeling?” 

The question made the boy pause. He’d been so focused on making it through the experience that he’d tried not to think too hard on how he felt, regardless of how poorly he’d done. How did he feel now that they were about to leave?

“Worried,” he said softly, thinking it over. “I don’t… there’s a lot to do when we get back. I want to be able to help Harry.” 

“He will always want your help,” Godric assured him. “As strong as my friendship is with Salazar, your friendship is with Harry.” 

“I know,” Ron nodded quickly, picking at non-existent lint on his shirt. “I dunno. What if I’m not… what if I can’t handle what happens in the future? What if I’m not brave enough?”

Godric’s eyes softened and he wrapped an arm around his student’s shoulders. “Ron, you were sorted into my house and I stand by that. You are one of the bravest students I’ve known, and you’re loyal to a fault. I have no doubt in my mind that no matter what, you’ll stand by your friend’s side.” 

“Yeah?” 

“Of course.” 

“Thank you, Professor.” 

* * *

The tests, in the end, consisted of nine things in total. Healing, Defense, curses and hexes, charms, warding, mastering their animagus forms, their muggle weapons, and general strategy. Some things that they’d learned on their own were finally revealed to one another, one of those things being their animagus forms. 

“Another Grim,” Godric said, looking at Ron. The boy only sighed and turned back to himself.

“Sorry, mate,” he said to Harry, who shrugged it off, though he was tenser than before. 

“Not like you could exactly control it,” he reminded Ron. “My turn?” 

“Your turn.”

He sucked in a deep breath and let himself transform into the beautiful creature he knew he was. Hermione let out a gasp and rushed forward, looking at him with wide eyes. 

“A phoenix!” 

He turned back and nodded at her. “We suspect it has something to do with the whole… dying and coming back thing.” 

“Makes sense,” Ron accepted quickly, though Hermione looked more thoughtful than that. With a nudge from her redheaded friend, she nodded and backed up to shift. “Holy shit.”

“A dragon,” Harry stared. “That’s definitely more impressive than me.” 

“An Antidopean Opaleye,” Rowena told them. “They’re not around at this time. Hermione told us when we described her to her.” 

Hermione shifted back and gave them a sheepish smile. “Don’t make fun of me.” 

“That’s so cool!” Ron exclaimed. “You’re a dragon!” 

She rolled her eyes. “And you’re a Grim.” 

“Hey, I can die and come back,” Harry added in. Salazar pinned his son with a firm look. 

“Something we must hope you will not experience again,” he said firmly. “Are we done with the excitement?”

“I think so,” Hermione assured him. “You said there was more to be discussed.” 

“We did,” Helga confirmed. “You are all very well trained. You learn extremely quickly and are all talented at different things. Godric is of the mind, however, that it is not enough to train you with swords and the like.”

“Not more training,” Harry complained. 

“Not more training, no,” Godric grinned at his godson. “Tell me, Harry, what weapon do you perform best with?” 

“A longsword,” Harry said with a frown. “Right?” 

“Right,” Godric confirmed, turning to Hermione. “And you?” 

“Daggers,” she said quickly. She’d refused to explain why or how long she’d trained with the weapon, and it had come as quite the surprise to her friends to find she already knew how to handle herself around them. She’d only received refreshers from Godric, quickly moving on from the course.

“Ron?” 

“The greatsword,” he said with a frown. The boys had found the difference between swords difficult to remember, but figuring out which was best for them was the easy task. Mastering it in such a short time was near impossible, but by that point, they’d trained enough with them to do well, especially when supported by pure magic channeled through the weapons themselves instead of their wands. 

“Quit being dramatic and just give it to them,” Rowena laughed. Godric gave a small pout but summoned the weapons in question and handed them over, along with sheaths for them. Harry got his sword, Hermione received two daggers, and Ron was given a sword as well. 

“We’re- seriously?” Harry asked, as eloquent as ever. 

“We trust you to be careful with them and only use them if necessary,” Salazar nodded. “We did place some charms on them for you, as well as blood wards that need to be activated.” 

“What does that mean?” Hermione wondered, looking over her beautifully forged daggers. “Blood wards?” 

“It means that once the wards are activated, only you will be able to use your weapons,” Helga explained. “Important in battle. Your weapons will also return to their sheaths if you throw or otherwise lose them, which means you will not need to take time to retrieve them, which can mean precious moments in battle.”

“And you already know to cast spells as you use them,” Godric reminded the children. “Fighting the muggle way is all well and good, but be as powerful as you can. Your weapons will act as wands if you require them to.” 

“They were also infused with basilisk venom,” Salazar spoke up. “Which means they will destroy a Horcrux if it becomes necessary that you do so. The venom will only release with intent, so you must wish to release it. This way you will not kill every person you attack with your weapons.”

“Thank you,” Ron grinned at the founders. Harry and Hermione added their thanks and the trio sheathed their weapons, their wands already in holsters on their arms. 

“Now,” Salazar looked between the kids. “You should all get a good night of sleep. Tomorrow is the day.” 

Nervous energy passed through all seven witches and wizards in the office. Not one of them was sure they were ready, but putting the monumental task ahead off seemed worse than going ahead with it. 

* * *

The next morning began just as any other morning had. The trio woke, dressed, and dragged themselves down to breakfast. School had let out three days earlier, which left the trio, the founders, Helena, Théo, and Emrys there to eat together in relative peace. Breakfast was a quiet affair with few words exchanged. Everyone present, save for Emrys, was nervous of what was to come. 

Still, there was one conversation left that Hermione had been putting off since the founders had informed them they’d be joining the trio to the future. 

When breakfast let out, Hermione pulled Helena and Théo aside, tapping her foot nervously. 

“Is everything alright?” Helena asked, placing a hand on the girl’s arm. Hermione offered her a soft smile. 

“Yes, it’s just that… do you remember when we met, the conversation you overheard?” 

“Of course,” Helena agreed. “Why?” 

“Well,” she sighed, biting her lip. “I think that you both lied to the entire school for… many years.” 

“Both of us?” Théo asked in surprise. He’d been filled in on where they were from and why they were all leaving and had handled it well. He’d not asked about himself since they were so far in the future and was shocked that they knew who he was. “What about?”

“In the future, in my time, you are known as the Bloody Baron, the Slytherin house ghost,” she told him. “And Helena is the Grey Lady, the Ravenclaw house ghost.” 

“Okay,” he frowned. “I’ll admit I am troubled over how I came to receive such a name.” 

She let out a slow breath, unsure how to tell them. “The story goes that you were in love with Helena, and she didn’t return your feelings. One day, she steals her mother’s diadem and runs away, and Professor Ravenclaw sends you after her to bring her back. She refuses and… Merlin. You kill her and then yourself when you realize what you’ve done.” 

Théo stared at her. “By the gods.” 

“I know,” she nodded. “And after knowing you for five minutes, I knew it could never be true. The thing is, that’s what time says. So… I’m sorry, but when you die, you two need to tell students it’s what happened. Maybe not immediately, but once they’ve forgotten your true stories.” 

“How sad,” Helena sighed. “That’s a horrible story.” 

“I know it is,” she agreed before pausing. “Although it does leave me to wonder why you told Tom Riddle where the diadem really was.” 

“Perhaps because I knew I would, as you just told me.” 

Hermione winced and nodded at Helena. “I suppose you probably must have.”

“Do not worry, Hermione,” Théo told her with a kind smile. “We will protect the future. Do you know when you’ll be returning?” 

She considered the question and tried to remember the exact date she’d left. “I think it was sometime in June. I can’t quite remember, honestly.”

“And the year?” Helena asked, amused. Hermione blushed. 

“That would be 1996.” 

“We will look out for you.” 

“Thank you.” 

* * *

“And are we sure we have everything?” Godric asked, looking at his friends. Rowena shook her head rapidly, and he raised an eyebrow. 

“I don’t want them to find my library,” she explained. “If Dumbledore is this horrible, I can’t imagine how horrible others may have been. We all know I have some rather dark, rare things in there.” 

“Is anyone against locking it to our signatures, set to destroy itself should anyone force their way in?” Godric asked. 

“I think it’s a good idea,” Helga said hesitantly. “But what of Hermione?” 

Rowena paused. “You have a point. The cure might be in there. I’d rather not put those books at risk if they may help her.” 

“Then we don’t set it to destroy itself,” Salazar looked between his friends. “But attack whoever is breaking in.” 

To his surprise, no one argued. 

The spells were quick and easy for them, and once placed, they regrouped and went over their checklist. 

“Wills, diaries, and proof in the Chamber?” Godric asked. 

“Done,” Salazar assured him.

“Weapons on our persons?” 

“Done,” they all said. 

“Priorities when we arrive?” 

Helga spoke first. “Harry has told us that Sirius will likely react strongly, so we calm him. Then we see about getting him a mind healer so he can take up the seat of Lord Black.” 

“Take care of Umbridge the first chance we get,” Rowena added. “Although Hermione said it may be difficult to get to her if we have to prove our identities and we cannot do that without entering the castle.” 

“Which leaves it up to them,” Godric said, hating it just as much as the rest of them. “To get her out of the castle.” 

“Are we prepared for the possibility of injuries upon arrival?” Salazar asked, looking to Rowena. The woman nodded once in response and he let out a short sigh. “This will be an uphill battle for some time. You are all sure you want to do this?” 

“It isn’t just Harry, Ron, and Hermione in danger,” Godric told his friend. “It is the future of all of our students. I wish we could get to them to help sooner, but I am grateful that we get this chance at all.” 

“I won’t abandon them,” Helga told him with a firm look. 

“I can’t turn back now,” Rowena whispered. “Helena would never forgive me for it. I would never forgive myself.” 

“Okay,” Salazar looked around the room. “I think… we are ready.” 

* * *

The four Founders of Hogwarts and the Golden Trio stood in the Great Hall, six of them forming a circle around Hermione. They each had a hand on her, be it her head, her shoulders, her arms, or her hands, and she sucked in a deep breath. 

“ _ Suscipe me ad verum custos, custos animae meae, sumo mihi: in domum suam _ ,” she whispered. “ _ Suscipe me ad verum custos, custos animae meae, sumo mihi: in domum suam. _ ” 

A bright light lit her up and extended outward to her friends and the founders, enveloping them completely. They stood there for a long minute, eyes closed and waiting, as magic fought to bring Hermione to her magical guardian. 

She felt a rip at her core and let out a scream as they were all suddenly thrown off balance, and she collapsed to the ground, her head hitting the now carpeted floor with a thud. 

“What the fuck?” Sirius screamed, jumping to his feet. The six remaining separated and Harry ran to hug his godfather while Rowena dropped to her knees to heal the girl in front of them. Unfortunately, Sirius let out a groan. “Oh… shit, pup, what the fuck did you do?” 

“Sirius?” Harry asked, stepping back to look at him. “Are you okay?” 

“He is not,” Rowena called. “His guardian bond is tearing.” 

“Why?” Sirius asked, looking over in a panic. “What’s wrong with her?” 

“We had to,” Harry told the man before he could move over to his friend. “We were stuck- you wouldn’t believe me.” 

“I’ll believe just about anything,” Sirius denied. “But for now…” the man trailed off and promptly passed out, dropping to the floor across from Hermione. 

“What’s happening?” Harry asked in a rush, looking down at his godfather in a panic. “Professor?” 

“A guardian bond connects souls, cores,” Salazar explained for Rowena, moving over to his son. “That is what he and Hermione have. Hermione is… not well, and while she will be alright, it is a strain on Sirius. When she is unwell, she pulls on his core for help healing just as you would with me. She is simply pulling a little too hard for him to handle so suddenly."

“Harry?” 

Harry looked at the door to find Lupin staring at him in confusion, his eyes sweeping over the others in the room. 

“Oh, Merlin,” Harry muttered. “I didn’t know you’d be here.” 

“She is stabilizing,” Rowena breathed in relief. “The strain of moving us all here is lessening. I’d say she will wake in a few minutes at most. Sirius should as well.” 

Lupin’s eyes met Godric’s and he froze. “Harry, who did you bring to Grimmauld Place?” 

“Um… the Founders of Hogwarts?” 

Lupin let out a slow, careful breath and turned to Harry. “Did you take up pranking? I appreciate you following in your dad’s footsteps, but…”

“No, they’re really here,” he assured the man. “It’s kind of a long story.” 

“And Salazar Slytherin?” 

Harry took a deliberate step in front of his adoptive father. “He’s not- they got it all wrong, Professor.” 

Lupin shook his head, looking like he had a headache. “It’s not- I’m no longer your professor, Harry. Please, call me Remus.” 

“Mm?” Hermione mumbled quietly, blinking her eyes open with a groan of pain. “Ow.” 

“That’s okay,” Rowena smiled down at her. “You’re alright. Just a headache, I’d guess.”

“We made it?” Hermione asked, looking around. Her eyes landed on Lupin and widened dramatically. “Oh!” 

“Hello, Hermione,” Lupin raised an eyebrow. “I am staying very calm right now. Would you three like to explain what happened?” 

“Fuck,” Sirius hissed as he, too, woke. 

“Now we know why you always curse,” Godric let out a laugh. Sirius’s eyes moved over to the man and he paused. 

“Am I dead? Did it finally happen? Why do I get to meet Godric fucking Gryffindor before James? Oh… this is  _ hell _ . Where’s my mother?” 

“Sirius,” Hermione interrupted, getting his attention. He looked confused for a moment before he remembered what he’d seen before passing out. 

“You okay, kitten?” he asked, looking her over carefully. She nodded quickly. 

“I’m sorry. But we had to pull on you because of me since Dumbledore isn’t Harry’s guardian anymore and Mrs. Weasley would’ve just yelled at us  _ so much _ and-,”

“Slow down,” he told her, looking between the large group. “What happened?” 

And Harry, Hermione, and Ron began speaking at the same time, garnering exhausted looks from all six adults in the room. When they stopped, Harry and Ron turned to Hermione, making her roll her eyes at them.

“Fine, you absolute toerags,” she said, repeating a word she’d heard from Lily Evans all those months ago. Sirius’s eyes lit up, his mouth turning to a small smile, and she didn’t blame him. Lily had really used the insult quite a bit, and it was one she’d never heard before. 

“Start from the beginning,” Lupin requested, and she nodded. 

“Okay. So, we were at school and Harry and Malfoy got into a sort of a duel. Harry made the mistake of wearing the time turner, and Ron and I were trying to get to him, so when we touched him and the spell hit the time turner, it sent us… far back in time.” 

“You’re kidding,” Sirius said, looking at the Founders. “That’s impossible, Hermione.” 

“It’s impossible to break out of Azkaban,” she retorted, and he conceded the point, quieting again. “We went back to the Founders’ time and they sort of… took us in. We told them what’s happening here in our time and they said they’d help us.”

“Salazar Slytherin?” Sirius asked, interrupting her once more. To his surprise, it was Harry who came to the man’s defense. 

“History got a lot wrong, Sirius,” the boy insisted. “He’s not like that at all.”

“How could so many people be wrong?” 

“How could so many people think you betrayed my parents?” Harry shot back. He didn’t care that he’d purposely hit Sirius where it hurt - he needed to make his point and make it quick. Sirius was known to have a short fuse with Slytherins, and he didn’t want his godfather taking his pent up anger out on the only man he’d ever considered a father. “He’s a good person, Sirius. Just like you.” 

“I trust you, pup,” Sirius said after a long minute of silence. Harry nodded in relief and stood back to let Hermione continue. 

“There’s a lot they want to help us fix, and it all piled up and… I don’t know,” she looked to her teachers. “Why did you end up deciding to help?”

“Because we felt the future of our school was in danger,” Helga told her gently. “You are no longer being taught the things you should be. You are all taught divination, which should only be for Seers like Godric or Ronald. Healing is no longer being taught at all, nor is strategy. Your curriculum is in danger and so are you. We can reclaim the school once we rid it of Ministry control, and help to correct these things.” 

“Beyond that,” Salazar said. “We do have seats in your Wizengamot. We can regain those and help to take control politically, something that we will need your help for, Sirius.”

Sirius looked surprised to be addressed by the man. “My help.” 

“You are Lord Black, or you should be,” Salazar confirmed. “If it doesn’t go to you, you will be giving the seat up to Draco Malfoy when he comes of age.” 

“How the hell do you know this?” 

Hermione blushed. “You spent so much time showing me your family tree when I asked during the summer.” 

“I was bored!” he exclaimed. “You weren’t supposed to use it against me, traitor!”

“Stop being so dramatic, Padfoot,” Lupin rolled his eyes. “I’ve been trying to get you to take up your seat for weeks, if not anonymously.” 

“We will work to get your name cleared,” Godric assured Sirius. “You were a loyal, brave friend. You do not deserve this.” 

“Are you sure I’m not just really drunk?” Sirius asked no one in particular. Still, Lupin, Hermione, and Harry all shook their heads. “Fine. So what the fuck happened to get you back here?” 

“Ah,” Rowena spoke up. “I found a ritual that would bring one of the kids and whoever they touched back to their magical guardian regardless of time or space.” 

“That’s why Hermione passed out,” he gathered, nodding. There was a moment of silence before he spoke again. “I hope you don’t all plan on crashing here.” 

Godric let out a laugh. “No, we have somewhere we can go. Unfortunately, the plan is to sneak the children back into school so they can get rid of Umbridge. We hate the plan more than they do, but until she is removed, we cannot return and we cannot reclaim our place there.”

“No more Dumbledore?” Sirius asked. 

“No,” Salazar said sharply. “He will never step foot in our school again.” 

“Thank fuck,” Sirius breathed out in relief. Harry looked at him in surprise. “Look, pup, he was the best for you while I’m stuck on house arrest but he’s a right arsehole. It’s his fault I’m here, to begin with."

“Why didn’t you tell me?” his godson asked, somewhat hurt that he once again hadn’t been trusted. 

“Because I didn’t want to make things harder at school,” Sirius sighed. “There isn’t anything you could’ve done about it, anyhow.” 

“He’s right,” Lupin added. “We don’t like keeping things from you, Harry, but you’re too much like your father. Furious at any injustices and ready to put yourself in danger if you think it means fairness.” 

“I think I would have liked your father,” Godric grinned. “He was in my house?” 

“We all were,” Lupin nodded. 

“Hey,” Hermione interrupted with a frown on her face. “We know that Malfoy sent us away, right?” 

“Of course,” Rowena nodded. 

“How long has it been? And what does he think happened?” 

No one had an answer to that, leaving the question in the air as they moved on.

* * *

Draco Malfoy rushed through the castle as fast as he could without obviously looking distressed. He was stopped by no one, and he gratefully attributed that to the Inquisitorial Squad badge he wore next to his prefect badge on his robes. He pushed his way past some first years as he ran into the common room, his eyes settling on Theo and Blaise, who sat by themselves in the room. It was unusually empty for a Saturday, and he rushed over to them, letting the panic he felt show for barely a second before his mask was replaced.

“What happened?” Theo asked, jumping to his feet. Draco was never one to openly display his emotions, even for a second. “Shit, Draco. What did you do?”

“I killed Potter!” 

* * *


	16. Chapter 16

Draco was testing Theo’s patience. 

He had been testing it since his father drilled into him that he had to be violent and loud and bigoted or face Lucius’s wrath. It was something Theo could understand, of course. His own father was rather cruel to him in the name of creating a perfect heir, a perfect Slytherin to someday become Lord Nott. 

But Merlin, if he ever became as much of a whiny brat as Draco was, he wanted to be  _ avada _ ’d. 

Draco had come running to him and Blaise hours earlier in a full panic, claiming to have killed the Chosen One, Harry Potter. Of course, at the news, he’d felt panic fill him as well. He knew his friend would be killed if the Dark Lord found out. 

And then Draco had described what happened. He’d described it vaguely, and it had taken Theo an hour to get the full story out of the blonde asshole. Apparently, Draco had cursed Potter, and it had hit  _ something _ , that something had exploded, and it had supposedly killed the Golden Trio. 

Theo thought he was getting a migraine. 

They had split up and searched the castle, of course. They’d met back in the dorm the three of them shared after two hours to report that they hadn’t found the trio, nor had anyone seen them. Draco, of course, decided this was firm proof and went back to full-on panicking. 

Theo disagreed. Whatever had happened sounded like magic they’d never heard of before. He tried to point out to Draco that it was an abnormal situation, but the boy had just continued lamenting over his impending death at the hands of Voldemort. 

And then, five hours into the apparent crisis, Draco had calmed. It was a welcome change to the shouting and panic they’d seen so far, but it was also suspicious. Theo and Blaise both narrowed their eyes at their friend. 

“You’re far too quiet,” Blaise muttered, flipping a galleon between his fingers. Draco stood up and paced quietly in front of them before speaking. 

“I’m going to die.” 

“Not if we find them,” Theo tried. Draco put a hand up, and Theo wanted nothing more than to hex it off. 

“I’m going to die,” he repeated. “So fuck Voldemort.” 

“Well, shit,” Blaise laughed loudly. “You should’ve killed Potter sooner.” 

“Fuck him, and fuck his followers, and fuck Umbridge,” Draco told them decisively. “However long the rest of my life is, I refuse to be a sycophant if I’m just going to die anyway. No, fuck them. I’m gonna go hex Umbridge.” 

“Wait, Draco!” Theo called, rushing after his friend as he ran from their dorm. 

Apparently, the new Draco was less bigoted but just as exhausting. 

* * *

“Are we sure this is a good idea?” Harry asked, looking down at the Marauder’s Map for the tenth time as they crawled through the tunnel. 

“It’ll be okay,” Hermione assured him. “We have a plan. The Founders are on their way to that bunker thing, and Lupin is with them. Sirius is waiting for our floo call. We can do this.” 

“Do I get to stab her?” Ron asked curiously. When Hermione smacked his arm, he let out a laugh. “Not even a little?” 

They quieted as they approached the one-eyed witch statue and it opened. They threw the cloak over all of them and exited, only for a body to slam into them and sent them sprawling to the floor. 

“Ah, motherfucker,” a voice hissed, untangling themselves. Harry caught the cloak before it was thrown across the floor and into the Great Hall, and Hermione looked up, wand out, to see Theo Nott looking at her like she was the answer to all his problems. “Granger, oh thank the gods. I could kiss you right now.” 

“I would… really rather you didn’t,” she blinked suspiciously. “Aren’t you going to hex us?” 

“No, I need your help,” he disagreed, getting to his feet. The trio followed his lead, suspicious. “Look, Draco thinks he’s killed all of you-,”

“Don’t blame him, honestly,” Ron cut in. 

“And now he’s going to go hex Umbridge.” 

The three friends fell silent. 

“ _ Excuse me _ ?” Hermione asked, her voice getting higher in disbelief. 

“Yeah, it’s a long story, he sorta lost his mind,” Theo shook his head. “He said something about not being a sycophant if he was going to die, and then he ran off to hex her.” 

“Why?” 

“Because he bloody hates the toad,” Theo said hurriedly. “He’s going to get himself killed, Granger.” 

“Okay,” she nodded quickly, turning to her friends. “Go make sure everything is okay with… the things. I’m going to corral Malfoy.” 

“What if he’s just trying to curse you?” Ron asked with narrowed eyes. Hermione shook her head quickly. 

“I trust Theo.”

Harry and Ron both stared at her and she scowled. 

“I do have friends aside from you two,” she rolled her eyes. “Besides, I think I know how to protect myself.” 

“But he’s a Slytherin,” Harry stared at her. She laughed at him.

“Harry, after everything that we just went through, you can’t exactly use being a Slytherin as an excuse anymore. Now go make sure it’s all there, okay? We don’t want Ginny to have taken any of it in her possessed state.” 

“That’s a good point,” Ron realized with wide eyes. “It’s all down there and-,”

“Sorry to cut this short,” Theo interrupted, though he was interested in the open conversation he was witnessing between the Gryffindors. “But Draco is about to destroy his life.”

“Yes, I’m coming,” Hermione nodded, rushing off after Theo. Harry and Ron shared a look before making their way to the Chamber of Secrets, leaving Hermione to run beside Theo. They ran through the castle aimlessly and she tugged his arm to stop in a courtyard. “Where do you think she is?” 

“I don’t know,” he told her honestly. She could see the worry for his friend in his eyes, and she let out a deep breath, raising her wand. 

“ _ Expecto Patronum _ !” 

To her shock, her Patronus had changed. It was now the same dragon that she held in her Animagus form. She shook it off and looked at it closely. “Take us to Draco Malfoy as fast as you can, but avoid anyone else if possible. Definitely avoid Umbridge.” 

The dragon nodded once and jumped into the air, flying off down the halls. They began running once more, and she saw Theo look at her in surprise. 

“It used to be an otter!” She shrugged in an answer to his silent question. “I have no clue!” 

He didn’t answer her and the pair focused on running after the dragon. A few times, it rerouted them to avoid students or teachers, much to her relief. Finally, five minutes later, they approached the hall Draco was racing down himself. Theo reacted this time, reaching around the corner with his wand. 

“ _ Stupefy _ !” 

Hermione looked at Theo as her dragon faded away and led him into a nearby classroom with Draco levitated behind him. He set the boy on the floor as she warded the room and silenced it easily, locking it to her magical signature. She was nearly certain that Draco already knew how to remove such typical wards and spells, and she didn’t want him doing so until he could calm down. 

“Thank you,” Theo said, looking to her in relief. “I appreciate your help. I understand that the last thing you, of all people, would want to do is help him.” 

“I’m helping you,” she corrected. “I trust you.”

“And our apparent friendship?”

She blushed. “They’d never have let me run off with you if they didn’t think I wasn’t already your friend.” 

“Well, I can truthfully say that I admire your brilliance,” he told her. She grinned at him. “Ready?” 

“If he hexes me, I will stab him.” 

Theo looked startled. “You’re not armed aside from your wand.”

She smirked. “That’s what you think.” 

Looking at her, somewhat impressed and intimidated, he pointed his wand at his friend. “ _ Rennervate _ .”

Draco gasped and shot to a sitting position, his eyes wide at his friend. “Theo, thank Merlin. You can help me find her.” 

“Malfoy,” Hermione called out, leaning against a desk. Draco’s eyes widened as he stared at her. He got to his feet and rushed over and her arm dropped to her hip, pulling one of her daggers out in case he turned hostile. Still, he stopped just in front of her, looking her over closely. 

“Are you dead? Am I dead? Did we… dead?” 

She let out a short laugh. “Surprisingly, you’re not the first person to ask me that today… No, but you seem to have lost some brain cells somewhere along the way. Did you hit your head?”

“I don’t… understand,” he admitted. His eyes narrowed slightly. “You look different. You’re different. More… dangerous.” 

Hermione‘s lips twitched. “Thank you for noticing.”

“Where’s Potter? And Weasley?” 

“They’re fine,” she assured him. “In the castle.” 

“What… happened?” 

She considered her options. “First, you need to step back from me.” 

“You need to answer me-,”

“I’d do what she says, mate,” Theo called. “She threatened to stab you before I woke you up.” 

Draco, surprised, did as his friend told him to. He stepped back enough to notice the dagger held tightly within her hand. “Merlin, Granger, where did you get that?” 

“Godric Gryffindor.” 

“He had a sword,” Draco scoffed. “Not daggers.” 

She smiled and tilted her head a little, truthfully enjoying the power she held over him at that moment. It was like a balm for the times he’d hurt her, emotionally or physically. “Why don’t we begin with you first. What exactly were you thinking?” 

“I- I thought I’d killed Potter,” Draco admitted as he regained some semblance of sanity. “And if I had, the Dark Lord would kill me. So I was going to…”

“Hex Umbridge,” she nodded. “Why? Just for the hell of it?” 

“Because she’s a cow,” Draco sneered. 

“Why?”

“Granger,” Theo frowned. “What are you doing?” 

“Well, I’m hardly going to tell him - or you, for that matter - what really happened without ensuring you’re not assholes.” 

“Bigots,” Theo translated, brushing off the fact that she’d just cursed - something that had surprised her as well. “No, fuck that. My dad is, though. Stay away from him.”

She believed him easily enough. She’d also been suspicious of Draco for over a year. He was good at putting on a show, using his magic and harsh words to prove that he hated muggleborns just like the next Slytherin, but it was the way he looked at her when they met eyes, or just after he’d hurt her, as if he hated what he was doing and himself to the very core of his being. She just hadn’t had any proof of it, and she knew her boys would only laugh or yell at her if she’d brought it up. 

“There’s an order to the world,” Draco said, his energy draining from him. “And my father ensured that I am on the wrong side, no matter what.” 

“What does that mean?” 

Draco stared at her for a minute and she recognized the vulnerability he was about to offer her, something she could rightfully guess he’d almost never offered to anyone else.

“My mother,” he said simply. It was enough for her to understand. Lucius had threatened Narcissa, who was probably the only person Draco would do anything for. 

“Harry had a time turner around his neck and you sent us eight hundred years into the past.” Both boys fell silent, and she grinned. “I’m actually being quite serious. Godric Gryffindor gave me these daggers before we came back. That’s why I look different. The Founders trained us all for a year.”

“Ah, fuck,” Theo breathed. “You really did fuck things up, Draco.”

“No, it’s fine,” she assured them. “Things are going to be… quite different.” 

“How so?” 

She looked between them. She believed them, of course, but she didn’t quite trust them enough for the plan. No, she couldn’t share that without her boys and the Founders. “I’ll let you know.”

* * *

It was the next day when something happened. 

They were forced to sit for their OWLs, a fact that put Hermione into a panic, despite having just spent a year with the Founders and training under them. Still, during the exams - which were written with Blood Quills - the twins had interrupted. It pissed Umbridge off to no end, of course. 

Harry supposed things happened the way they would’ve, had they not gone back to the past. Despite his Horcrux being gone, he was delivered a picture of Sirius in a familiar room being tortured. He ignored Hermione’s warnings that it could easily be faked and rushed through the castle. 

Later that night, they landed in the Forbidden Forest, just Hermione and Harry. Their weapons had, unfortunately, been noticed during a frisk by Crabbe and Goyle and had been confiscated, as had their wands. They’d been taught some wandless magic, of course, but they wanted to wait. 

They had a chance. 

It ended with an innocent centaur being hurt by the deranged ministry official, but the centaurs had taken her away with no regrets. Being so near the centaurs put them both on edge again, and Harry had nearly joined Umbridge in hexing them. Still, he knew he couldn’t and Hermione tugged him along behind her. 

When they met up with their friends on the bridge, they were brought their weapons but not their wands as they’d been in a rush and the things had been lost. Ron had insisted they hurry and that they’d be fine, and he was right. Probably. 

Upon using the floo to call Sirius, Harry was devastated to hear from Kreacher that Sirius wasn’t home, despite the fact that he was  _ always _ supposed to be home. 

Which was how they found themselves at the Ministry of Magic, fighting in the Department of Mysteries. 

Harry had, of course, tugged on his bond with Salazar multiple times, vaguely to tell the man that they were in danger and then where they were going because he knew his father would stop him from saving Sirius and he refused to let the man die for him.

“Get behind me!” Harry shouted to his friends. He, Ron, and Hermione put up a large shield over all of them, but it wasn’t enough. It was built for spells, hexes, curses, but not bodies slamming through it. The black smoke of the Death Eaters’ movement blinded them all as the terrorists separated the children. 

And then, all of the sudden, it was over. Harry was left alone, and he looked up cautiously, gripping the prophecy tight against his stomach. He stood and turned in a circle at the sight of his friends being held by Death Eaters. Hermione, however, was missing, and he found that almost more nervewracking than the rest of it. Almost. 

Lucius Malfoy let out a low laugh and waddled his way up the steps toward Harry. “Did you actually believe… were you truly naive enough to think that you  _ children _ stood a chance against us?” The man turned, standing in front of the Veil now, holding his hand out to Harry. “I’ll make this simple for you, Potter. Give me the prophecy now or watch your friends die.”

He looked around. He knew that he, Hermione, and Ron could hold their own now, but Neville, Luna, and Ginny likely could not. Aside from that, Hermione was nowhere to be seen and therefore could not help. Him and Ron alone… he wasn’t sure about those chances. It had taken all three of them to save the students from the centaurs. 

“Don’t give it to him, Harry!” Neville called out. Bellatrix slammed her wand against his throat and shushed him, and Harry winced. He refused to let his friend die for him. He raised his hand and sucked in a breath, handing the glass orb over to the man. 

And then Sirius turned Lucius around and punched him in the face.

* * *

“Let go of me,” Hermione whimpered, struggling against the man behind her. She had been quiet while Harry had been alone with Lucius, as had he, but now Sirius fought with Harry in the middle of the room together. She pulled her arm back and elbowed the man’s stomach. He released her but grabbed her by the wrist again before she could escape. He twisted her around to look down at her and gasped, a sight and sound that worried her. 

It was the man she’d seen in the memory. He was still unfairly beautiful, even more so in person. His eyes were a sharp blue and pierced her soul. She struggled still against him, but his grip on her wrist was tight enough that she worried he might break it. His other hand came up to stroke her cheek and she winced back, throwing her hand up to punch him. He was too quick and grabbed that wrist as well, smirking at her. 

“You’re gorgeous,” he whispered into her ear, his breath tickling her neck. “And feisty. I think I’ll keep you. Granger, isn’t it? The Dark Lord did tell me I could have a pet.” 

“Let me go!” She cried again, attempting to twist her body out of her hold. It didn’t work, but she did catch sight of Bellatrix pointing her wand at Sirius, who was standing in front of the Veil. “Sirius! Move!” 

The man did, just barely in time, and the curse hit Lucius instead, tossing him into the Veil. She felt a sick appreciation but was shocked out of her thoughts by a bite on her wrist. She let out a yelp and looked back to see him smirking at her still. He released the newly bleeding wrist and pointed his wand at her, casting too quick for her to stop him.

“ _ Anima coniungere _ ,” he muttered. A white light slithered into the bite on her wrist and she felt something painful move into her core, her soul, before he finally released her and shoved her forward so he could apparate out of the battle. 

When she stumbled forward and fell to the ground, she noticed that the fight had dwindled to a stop. Death Eaters were fleeing and Harry was racing from the room with Sirius on his heels. She let out a short scream at the intensifying pain in her core, unaware of Remus rushing to her side. She screamed, the curse digging deep into her, and fell unconscious as it did its work. 

* * *

Harry raced after Bellatrix as she fled the room and threw a hex at her, bringing her to her knees. She flipped over and he stopped short in front of her. “Where is she?” he screamed, his hand out and pointed at her. His sword had been long since dropped and while he knew it would be sheathed once more, there was no time for that. “ _ Where is she _ ?”

Bellatrix only laughed. 

Harry threw another somewhat dark curse at the woman, one he learned from his father. Bellatrix let out a small scream, and he felt Sirius come to a stop behind him. 

“Harry,  _ no _ ,” he hissed. “She isn’t worth it. We’ll find her.”

“What if she knows?” Harry asked harshly. 

“Do it,” a whisper said. He wanted to listen to the whisper. He heard Sirius let out a gasp and turned to see him on the ground- stunned and alive but incapacitated. Behind him was the man he’d seen only two years earlier. Voldemort. “So weak.” 

The floo flared to life and he glanced over to see Dumbledore step through, his robes trailing behind him as he stepped between Harry and Voldemort. 

“It was foolish of you to come here tonight, Tom,” Dumbledore told Voldemort. “The aurors are already on their way.” 

Harry kneeled down and quietly woke his godfather up, shushing him as he waved at the confrontation they were witnessing. 

“Where are the Freaky Four?” Sirius whispered. Harry managed to roll his eyes. 

“Athair got me a message, he’s going to come in if anything gets so bad we can’t handle it. And he’s a little pissed.” 

“Because you ran away to look for me?” Sirius asked with a small grin. The man had taken the news of Harry’s adoption extremely well. While he wanted to be a key part of his life, he also saw how close they were and refused to try to ruin it. He remembered when his father had refused to let his uncle see him just because they were closer than Sirius had been with his parents, and Sirius never wanted to do that to Harry. He just wanted him to be happy. “I’m just a damsel in distress to you, aren’t I?” 

Harry smacked his godfather and focused back on the powers colliding in front of him. He could truthfully say that he was more concerned for Hermione than he was for the situation between Voldemort and Dumbledore. They could destroy each other for all he cared. 

_ Hermione is with us. She was in the Veil room with you under wards. _

Harry started at the sudden contact from his adoptive father and focused on thinking back to the man. 

_ Is she okay? _

There was a long pause. 

_ We will help her. _

The response did nothing to calm his nerves. He was interrupted from telling Sirius by Dumbledore throwing them out of the way. Bellatrix dove into a floo and disappeared as Dumbledore and Voldemort began trading spells and curses, Dumbledore shielding Harry and Sirius all the while. 

The two watched in amazement and horror as the Headmaster did everything he could to protect them. After water, fire, and glass being thrown at them, Dumbledore stopped it all. When his final attack failed, Voldemort lowered his wand as the aurors and Fudge looked on and disappeared from the ministry. 

With the Horcrux in Harry’s mind gone, Voldemort simply left, leaving Harry’s mind alone with nothing to invite him inside. 

* * *

Dumbledore took Harry to Hogwarts and the first thing he did was make his way to the infirmary where he knew Hermione was, the old man on his heels. To his surprise, the Founders were there as well, talking quietly with Madame Pomfrey. 

“Athair?” he said softly. Salazar turned on his heel and, despite the mixed company, wrapped his arms tightly around his son. Harry let out a deep breath at the comfort before Salazar pulled back and met his eyes. He could see and feel the fury in his father. 

“You  _ dare _ do that,” Salazar said sharply. “After the effort we have put into keeping you safe? Into assuring you never have to do anything alone again? You disrespect everything we have done for you, the sacrifices we have made!” 

Harry winced. He knew he deserved the words. “I know. I know, I’m sorry. I can’t really… excuse it.” 

“Damn right you can’t,” Rowena said sharply, her eyes meeting his. 

“Excuse me,” Dumbledore moved swiftly over, his eyes sharp on them. “And who are you to Harry?” 

“We’re the bloody Founders of Hogwarts,” Godric said, letting his rage to the twinkle-eyed man slip out. “And he is my godson!” 

Harry was fairly certain it was the first and only time he’d ever see Dumbledore look completely lost. He knew the old man couldn’t deny them being the Founders - not only did they look like them, save for Salazar, but the school would clearly recognize their magic over Dumbledore’s, an issue that he’d likely been puzzling over since returning to the school. 

“Perhaps we can take this to my office-,”

“Our office,” Salazar said calmly. “And no, not right now. Of course, we will discuss… many things, but as of now, we are trying to help Madame Pomfrey take care of a very dire situation.” 

“Is it Hermione?” Harry asked, unable to help from interrupting. His father nodded once and he felt his stomach do a flip. “Where is she?” 

“At the last bed,” Helga instructed. “She’s awake. Go on and see her, dear.”

“And Ron?” 

Godric offered him a soft smile. “Ron is with his family. He retrieved your wand - it is with Hermione.” 

“Thanks, Uncle Godric,” he smiled nervously and left the circle of powerful people to find Hermione sitting up in bed, looking irritated. 

“Harry!” she exclaimed. He grinned and gave her a hug. 

“You’re hurt?” he asked, confused. She seemed perfectly fine.

“Not really,” she answered, her eyes darkening a little. He felt like she was lying, but she didn’t seem to be in the mood to talk about it, so he didn’t ask again. 

“What happened?” 

She looked up at him, surprised. “I didn’t tell you. Oh… the man I fought during the test, it was a man named Antonin Dolohov. I met him for the first time tonight.” 

“What’d he do?” 

She shifted uncomfortably, and his nerves grew. There wasn’t much she refused to tell him. “They won’t tell me, exactly.”

Harry frowned quietly. “If they won’t tell you… maybe they think it’s best for you, Mione. I know, I hate being left out of things, but… I don’t know. I trust them.” 

“But when Professor Gryffindor helped me see who Dolohov was, he got… he got  _ mad _ , Harry. He sent me away, snapped at me.”

“Oh,” Harry breathed. It was obvious the man kept careful control of his emotions. Truthfully, he was better at it than Salazar was at times, something that often surprised them. But for his uncle to snap at Hermione, something had to have shaken him. Badly. 

“I’m scared,” she admitted. “Do you think… maybe Sirius knows.” 

“I can ask him,” Harry nodded. Hermione shook her head. 

“I want to. I’ll go see him over the summer.” 

“You’re sure you’re okay?” he asked her nervously. She nodded, handing his wand over from her bedside table. 

“Madame Pomfrey says that the pain should start going away soon. I think she’s right. She said I’ll feel normal again within a couple of weeks.” 

“We’ll figure it out,” Harry promised her. She shrugged and he knew she wasn’t sure she believed him, but he meant it. She was a sister to him and something bad had happened. He would help her no matter what, just like she helped him. 

* * *


	17. Chapter 17

Dumbledore sat in his office, preparing himself for what he knew would be a very long, difficult conversation. He’d gathered all the information he thought they should know and had made copies for all of them, even Slytherin. 

He had no clue how it could’ve happened.

He’d been given the quick version of events. Time Turner, curse, flung back in time. He wanted to blame Draco Malfoy or even Harry for wearing the time turner. Perhaps Hermione Granger for not ensuring Harry was safe with it. Maybe Minerva for giving it to them in the first place. 

But he knew it had to be his fault. 

He had known, of course, that the Horcrux in Harry’s head meant a connection to Voldemort. Perhaps not one that the boy fully understood as of yet, but one that someone as terrifyingly brilliant as Tom Riddle could easily manipulate. 

It was why he’d pushed Harry away. He had come to the trial, of course, because under no circumstances could he allow the boy to be expelled. He needed his education, he needed his wand, he needed his friends to be able to eventually defeat Voldemort. So, he’d gone to the trial and defended his student, who had obviously done nothing truly wrong. 

But aside from that, he said nothing to Harry. He knew it angered him, he knew Harry felt as if he were being betrayed by the one that had always helped him, but what was he to do? He couldn’t tell the boy anything for fear of it only being heard by Voldemort. 

And it had certainly been unfortunate when the kids had named their group Dumbledore’s Army, though he had chuckled at it. Whether they were defying the Ministry or pledging their loyalty to himself, he was still unsure. Umbridge and Fudge certainly hadn’t appreciated it, and he’d been forced to flee Hogwarts. 

He looked cool doing it, too. 

And he’d hidden out with his bitter and angry brother for months until Kingsley had given him news from the Order - Harry had stormed the Ministry with his friends, worried for Sirius’s safety. Dumbledore had gone as soon as he could, of course. When he’d arrived, Tom was all but ready to kill Harry. 

Dumbledore almost wanted him to do it. He knew Harry had to die at some point, of course. He might as well get it over with, right? But Tom had noticed him and they’d begun fighting. 

It was when it was all over that he’d found out he was no longer the leader Hogwarts welcomed with open arms. That title belonged to the Founders of Hogwarts, who had come back to the future with Harry’s friends. 

Dumbledore had to wonder at the dynamic between the Founders and Harry. Salazar had reprimanded Harry and while Dumbledore was ready to intervene, Harry had looked truly accepting and apologetic. Like a son after he’d been yelled at by his father. 

And Harry had certainly looked at Salazar Slytherin as if he was the world - as if he and his friends had taken the years of abuse Dumbledore knew Harry had suffered and fixed it all. Loved him until he was okay again. 

He knew things would not go smoothly when he’d suggested they go to his office and discuss the matters and he’d been dismissed. They’d had more important matters to attend to, that much was clear to him. Even after ensuring that Harry and Hermione were alright, they’d gone off to do something else, leaving him waiting there for their return with no clear idea of when it would come. 

Albus Dumbledore was unsure what the day would bring, but he knew it would be nothing good and for the first time in a long time, he felt out of control.

* * *

“Poor Tessa,” Helga whispered, staring at the decaying body of their basilisk. 

“She deserved a better end,” Godric agreed. “But at least it ended.” 

“Let’s focus,” Rowena told them, gaining their attention. “Where did Ron say they moved it?” 

“They put a waterproof charm on it and threw it in the water,” Godric said with a slight eye roll. 

“That is… possibly not the best idea,” Helga blinked.

“We should remember they knew we’d be getting it later,” Rowena added, using a simple  _ accio _ to call it to her. She dropped the spell before the chest could hit her, and Salazar caught it, levitating it until it settled on the ground. As the boys had said, it was perfectly dry, and they opened it, looking in wonder at the centuries-old papers. 

“Adoption papers,” Helga muttered, handing those off to Salazar, who added them to his pile. “Our wills leaving everything to them, our official statements that we’d be back this year… what else?” 

“My family tree,” Salazar said, frowning. “It should be in there- ah,” he nodded, picking the paper up from the bottom of the pile. It had grown, updating automatically with every new Slytherin that was born. It had eventually just trailed down the Potter line, ending with Harry. “As I said. No Tom Riddle.” 

“This should be proof enough,” Rowena said, gazing at the other things in the box. “From what Hermione told us, the family trees are essentially legal documentation.” 

“Let’s go, then.” 

* * *

The door opened before Dumbledore was notified that anyone was there, a fact that already had him on edge. The Founders filed into the room and came to a stop in front of his desk, and he couldn’t tell a single thing about what they were thinking. It was rather unnerving, in his opinion. 

He needed to take control of the situation. 

“I’m glad you made it,” he greeted with a smile. “I must admit, I am still shocked. I apologize that my students uprooted you from your rightful time.”

“ _ Our _ students,” Helga said, pinning him with a look. “Came to us with problems they did not know how to solve, and a danger much too large for them to take on alone.”

“We came here because we wish to protect them,” Rowena continued. “And save our school.” 

“I don’t believe it is in any danger,” Dumbledore denied stiffly. What had the trio told them? 

“Oh? And what of Voldemort? What of his followers in the school that you allow to curse your students in the hallways?” 

“There is a war brewing, you must understand-,”

Salazar held up a hand, a calm fury behind his eyes. “We have much to discuss, Dumbledore. First of which is the treatment of Harry Potter.” 

“Harry has had a very hard life.” 

“He has,” Salazar agreed with him. “But it would have been much easier had you not interfered in his life the way you have.” 

“You placed him with his muggle aunt and uncle,” Godric said, glaring at the headmaster. Dumbledore had to admit that his anger stung more than the rest- he was a Gryffindor, after all.

“In an abusive family,” Salazar said sharply. “Where he was hated and barely survived. When he tried to speak with you about it, you sent him back. When Hermione’s parents asked if they could look after him, you turned them down. When Ron’s parents asked if they could look after him, you turned them down. You very deliberately have kept him locked up with his muggle family, completely aware of his abuse.” 

“You must understand, there were blood wards that needed to be maintained,” Dumbledore tried, but Rowena pinned him with a glare. 

“You could easily have placed stronger wards around a happy home. You were raising him to die.” 

“That is preposterous!” 

“He got rid of the Horcrux.” 

Dumbledore froze in his seat, his eyes drifting over to a red faced Helga Hufflepuff. “How?” 

“Oh, you despicable man,” she spat, reaching for her wand. Godric put his hand on hers to stop her. 

“You have neglected your other duties,” Salazar said, calmer than any of his friends had expected. “I suggest you work on minimizing the damage to the Wizarding world from your position as Supreme Mugwump and Chief Warlock. We will be retaining control of the school from now on.” 

“You cannot do that!” 

Rowena pulled parchment from her robes and pressed it down on the table. When he looked down, he saw wills claiming the castle was left to Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, and… Harry Potter-Slytherin? 

“What is this?” 

“Ah,” Salazar said, pressing another document down onto the table. Dumbledore felt horror rush through him at the sight of a certificate of adoption between Salazar Slytherin and Harry Potter. 

“I see.” 

“All control you have over Harry has come to an end,” the dangerous man declared, his eyes sharp.

“But the blood wards-,”

“Have already fallen,” Godric informed him. “We checked upon returning to this time.”

“How?”

“Harry and his friends spent a full year with us,” Helga explained to him. “The wards have fallen.” 

“He cannot stay with Sirius,” Dumbledore tried, feeling all control over the situation slipping. “Sirius is still a wanted man.” 

“Perhaps you left too soon,” Rowena raised an eyebrow. “Minister Fudge cleared Sirius’s name with a little bit of convincing.” 

“Besides, we will not be staying there,” Salazar said. “We have plans. Now, Dumbledore, I would very much like if you would leave our school.”

“This is- you cannot do this,” Dumbledore tried, desperate. He had other positions, sure, but Hogwarts was his only way of keeping an eye on the students and who was to become Death Eaters, as well as who he wished to approach to join the Order. “I’ve spent my life protecting this school!”

“Then perhaps you should’ve done a better job.” 

* * *

“What do you think they’re doing?” Ron asked, following Harry and Hermione through the seventh floor to the Room of Requirement where they’d called a meeting of the DA. Though she hadn’t told them, Hermione had also invited three others that were to arrive after them.

“Tearing him to pieces, I hope,” Harry muttered to his friends. 

“I doubt they’d attack him so clearly, no matter how much we all want them to,” Hermione disagreed. “He is still a powerful ally that we need.” 

“I still don’t understand what we’re doing,” Ron admitted, looking to his bushy haired friend. “What are you planning to tell them?” 

“Nothing about the Founders,” she assured them. “Are you ready?”

“Yeah.”

They opened the door and stepped inside, stopping short at the crowd gathered in front of them. 

“Merlin,” Harry breathed, looking out at all of their nervous friends. 

“Harry,” Cho called, looking apologetic. “Is this… safe?” 

“Oh, yeah, we got rid of Umbridge,” Ron replied for him. “All good.” 

“Oh, Dumbledore is back?” Dean called with a grin. The trio exchanged a look. 

“For now,” Hermione nodded slowly. At their looks of confusion, she bit out a sigh. “It’ll make sense in a few days, I’m sure. But, uh, we’re still waiting for a few more people."

“We are?” Harry asked her in surprise. She blushed and nodded, and he narrowed his eyes at his friend. “Hermione, who is coming?” 

“So, something happened the other day,” she said, addressing everyone. “Malfoy and Harry got into a duel. He had a time turner around his neck, and Ron and I grabbed onto him just as Malfoy hit the time turner unknowingly. We vanished, but he thought he’d killed us. And he… went a bit crazy.” 

“ _ Why _ ?” Neville asked. He had his arm in a sling from the battle earlier, but was otherwise unharmed. Harry thought there was a good chance that, had he not chased down Bellatrix, Neville probably would have done it instead. Not that he necessarily blamed the boy. Harry had just been looking for his friend while Neville wanted to avenge his parents. 

“Because - and this is the part you’ll have a hard time believing - he doesn’t actually want to fight us.”

There was an outburst from almost everyone, including Harry and Ron. Much to her surprise, however, Luna simply nodded. 

“Have you lost your mind?” Ginny asked her. She looked at her friend’s sharp blue eyes and shook her head. 

“No! I know it’s hard to believe, okay, but he doesn’t. Theo and Blaise aren’t like that, either.” 

“And how would you know?” Parvati asked her with a scoff. Hermione resisted the urge to hex her roommate and glanced at her friends. 

“Well, when we got back from… our little trip, we ran into Theo. Apparently, Malfoy lost his mind and decided to hex Umbridge and called her a cow. He confirmed as much to me when we found him.” 

“How did you know he wouldn’t just curse you?” Angelina questioned. She smiled a little and pulled her daggers out from the sheath, something that had a disillusionment charm on it, just like Harry and Ron’s. 

“I threatened to stab him.”

“Merlin, Hermione,” Seamus let out a laugh, looking to Harry. “Did you know she was this scary?” 

Harry shook his head. “We all learned how to handle muggle weapons like that, but she actually already knew. She won’t even tell us why.” 

“Because boys are fucking assholes and her mom is a badass,” Ginny called out. Ron looked to his sister in surprise, but the girl just shrugged. “She actually likes talking to me, Ron.” 

“Can we get back to the point?” Hermione interrupted, exasperated. With a few nods, she bit her lip. “Right. Well, they’re on their way here now. If any one of you hexes them, I’ll put something much worse than  _ sneak _ on your forehead.” 

“Why the hell would you invite them here?” Justin asked her in disbelief. 

“Because, I’d like to make sure you don’t go on hexing them with the rest of the Inquisitorial Squad.”

The door opened behind her, and instinctively, she put up a shield in front of her, Harry, Ron, and the three Slytherins as they entered the room. At least five spells were absorbed and she turned to glare.

“You’re all  _ very _ lucky I don’t know who did that.” 

“Look, Hermione, we trust you,” Katie told her slowly, eyeing the Slytherins. “But if they attack us-,”

“They won’t-,”

“Then we will hex them within an inch of their lives.” 

“Message received,” Theo raised an eyebrow. “Our wands aren’t even out, for the record.” 

“His is,” Neville said, pointing at Blaise, who was twirling his wand in between his fingers, something that seemed to be a nervous tick. 

Theo scowled and smacked his friend. “Put that away, dumbass.” 

“Okay,” Hermione said, looking nervously at her best friends, who looked betrayed. “Draco, can you please explain what you told me yesterday?” 

“This doesn’t seem like a good idea, Granger,” he said, eyeing the crowd of Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, and Ravenclaws. There was a distinct lack of the fourth house, if you didn’t count Harry.

“Just do it,” she snapped, narrowing her eyes at him.

“What do you wanna bet she still has that dagger?” Theo asked, relishing in the uncomfortable look Draco took on. 

“Fine,” he glared, turning to look at Hermione as he spoke, unwilling to look out at the skeptical people he’d been chasing and spying on for the better part of the last nine months. “When I was younger, my father told me that purebloods were rulers of the world and that muggleborns and muggles were beneath us- dirty. My mother fought this ideology at every turn, and she convinced me he was wrong. Unfortunately, just before I began school, he found out. Ever since, he has held… certain leverage over me to be certain that I behave how he wishes me to.”

“Leverage?” 

“He threatened my mother’s life.” 

“Oh.”

“The other day, when I thought I’d killed Potter, I knew it would mean my death… by the hands of the Dark Lord. I’ll admit, I may have had a small breakdown-,”

“You were bloody unbearable,” Theo corrected, Blaise chuckling at his friend’s irritation. 

“And I decided to go hex Umbridge, because I didn’t want to follow something I absolutely did not believe in if my life was ending soon. Unfortunately, Potter lived-,”

“Hey!” 

“Which means that my little breakdown was pointless. And that would’ve been fine, had Nott calmed me down on his own instead of bringing Granger to me.” 

“I’m sorry, you’re mad that I know you’re not a bigoted toerag?” Hermione looked at him in disbelief. Harry shook his head. 

“You gotta stop saying that, Mione. No one gets it.” 

“Sure, but he knows I just insulted him.” 

“...fair.” 

“What I mean is that now my life is more complicated,” Draco said, speaking over them. “More dangerous.” 

“Assuming we believe you,” Ginny said, glaring at him. “What’s the point? Why are you here?” 

“Because I thought perhaps you could use someone with information on what Voldemort has planned.” 

Harry, Ron, and Hermione exchanged glances. 

“If that’s the case,” Harry said slowly. “Then there’s probably someone else you need to talk to.” 

“Not bloody Dumbledore.” 

“No,” Ron shook his head. “Someone… else.” 

“Going back to the issue of if we believe him,” Oliver Wood spoke up. “Do you have any proof?” 

Draco pulled his wand, and Hermione was joined by Harry and Ron this time when she put up a shield to stop the reactive curses coming his way. 

“Relax,” Draco rolled his eyes, holding his wand straight up. “I, Draco Regulus Malfoy, do swear on my wand and magic that everything I have said to you all just now is true.” 

His wand lit up, signifying his magic was satisfied with the oath, and the room went quiet. 

“Well, fuck,” Dean complained. “Now we can’t even deny it.” 

“So, are you all done hexing me?” 

“Maybe.”

* * *

With Sirius being cleared of all charges and declared a free, innocent man, his first act was to finally do what Remus had been nagging him to do for weeks- become Lord Black. 

It was a simple and quick ritual which consisted of Lord vows, a drop of blood on the ring, and someone in the to seal it that was blood related. In the end, he’d called Harry back from Hogwarts to help him out. 

But with that done, he had a lot more to do before the Wizengamot meeting the next day. Which was why he called a family meeting at Black Manor, a place that had been empty for five years since his grandfather, the previous Lord Black, had died. 

When everyone arrived, they were escorted to his office by elves, which had a sitting area in it as well, including two couches and a couple of chairs, a coffee table separating all of it. 

He stood nervously outside of the room with Hermione and Remus, adjusting his robes needlessly for the tenth time. “Suddenly this feels like a horrible idea. Maybe we should reschedule, or like… cancel forever.” 

“Sirius,” Remus frowned. “You know we need to do this. You won’t be alone. Harry is already in there, and so is Tonks.”

“Yeah, but I haven’t seen Dromeda for years,” Sirius reasoned. “What if she thinks I’m evil?”

“Then set her straight,” Hermione stared at him impatiently. “Come on. It’s too late to back out.” 

“Yeah, I know,” he muttered, opening the door. His entire living family sat in the room together, in their own little sections. One couch held Andromeda, Ted, and Mini Tonks, with Harry awkwardly placed by her side. Another couch held Narcissa and Draco, a sight that filled him with relief. He’d been worried she wouldn’t show. Aside from them was an empty space where he knew Bellatrix should have been. She’d been invited, of course, but he figured it was probably better she didn’t come. 

He stepped inside, Hermione and Remus flanking him fiercely. He looked around, tense. 

“Oh, I bloody knew it,” Tonks called out with a grin. “Good job!” 

“Sirius,” Narcissa breathed, her eyes widening only a fraction. “I heard you were cleared. I see you have finally taken up your rightful spot as Lord Black.” 

“I have,” he confirmed, offering his cousin a soft smile. They hadn’t been close since just before her wedding when Lucius had caught him trying to sneak into her room to kidnap her. He’d been forbidden from seeing her again, apart from family meetings. “I’m glad you’re all here. We have… a lot to discuss.” 

“Granger is here,” Draco said with a slight frown. 

“We will get to that,” Sirius confirmed, waving for the girl to take her seat. Unfortunately for her, the only open seat left was next to Draco. He made room for her, looking somewhat uncomfortable the entire time, though she didn’t look to be doing much better, either. “Firstly, I’d like to say that I’ll be making some changes in order to bring this House back to its former glory. The first change is making up for a wrong done many, many years ago. Andromeda, if you’d like, I would greatly appreciate it if you and your family joined us once more.” 

“I would,” she smiled brightly at him, tears forming in her eyes. “Thank you.” 

“Good,” he grinned, his gaze turning to Ted and the young Auror. “You call all do the ritual at the end.”

“Thanks,” Tonks said, offering him a genuine smile. She was happy not for herself, but for her mother. It had always been painful for the woman to talk of her family, and she’d known her mother had always missed at least one of her sisters, but they’d been forbidden to speak since she was disowned. 

“As for you, Narcissa,” Sirius said, his gaze turning to the woman, who looked suddenly nervous. “I’ve been informed that Lucius has spent years threatening your life in order to keep Draco obedient. Is that true?” 

“Yes,” she said so softly that he almost didn’t hear her. Andromeda looked at her younger sister in horror, and Sirius felt his heart clench. He’d never wanted this for her. 

“He has ignored the rules of your marital contract, as well as the rules of this House, which has primacy over the Malfoy House.”

“It does?” Draco asked, interrupting in his surprise. Sirius nodded at him.

“The problem is that no one was willing to enforce it,” he explained. “My grandfather did nothing in his old age. It’s why I was never officially disowned. After Andromeda, he retreated to the Manor and wasn’t seen again until his death date on the bloody wall showed up.

“Now, however, I’m here,” he said, his eyes falling on Narcissa once more. “Lucius has caused you and your son great emotional damage and has threatened your safety. Because of Lucius, harm has come to a daughter of this House. For that, your marriage is being dissolved and the dowry is being brought back into Black accounts.” 

Sirius didn’t think Narcissa had ever looked more relieved in her life. 

“Thank you, Sirius,” she whispered. He offered her a genuine smile. 

“I tried to save you from him once, Cissy. It didn’t stick then, but it will now.” 

“Isn’t he dead or something?” Harry asked, earning himself a glare from Hermione. It was true that he’d died instead of Sirius at the DOM, but that didn’t make dissolving the contract pointless at all. It simply made Narcissa a Black once more and cut her ties to the Malfoys, something she was obviously grateful for. 

“What about me?” Draco asked, gaining his attention. 

“You will be a part of our House,” Sirius confirmed. “Since we have primacy over Malfoys, any children born to the marriage will be returned to our House. Now, I won’t insist you change your surname, but officially, you are no longer a Malfoy.”

“Good,” Draco nodded once. “Glad to be rid of it.” 

“As for Bella,” Sirius said, his eyes scanning the room. “She has decided not to grace us with her presence, as well as her husband, but I can do this in their absence. I call down Judgement upon Bellatrix Lestrange  née Black and her husband, Rodolphus Lestrange.” 

Andromeda and Narcissa gasped, though everyone else in the room was clueless. 

Magic gathered in the room, tense and dangerous and setting everyone on edge. There was a sharp silence that no one in the room was willing to break as the magic snapped into place and more filtered in before dissipating into the walls. The wards were stronger, and the family magic felt harsher than before. 

“Um, Sirius,” Harry said with a frown. “What was that?” 

“That was a very, very old form of family magic,” Sirius said, explaining to everyone that didn’t understand already. “It judges a person’s actions and if they are found lacking, it takes their magic from them and returns it to the House.”

“Wait, I don’t understand,” Hermione spoke up. “It takes their magic?” 

“It does,” Sirius confirmed. “I won’t be surprised if both Bellatrix and her husband are dead by the morning.” 

A silence settled over the room, and he barely wanted to break it. 

“I only know a fraction of the things Bella has done,” he said, feeling judgement from a few people, including Harry and Hermione but excluding Draco, who had grown up with the crazy witch in his life. “But when I was sixteen, she tortured me for three hours with my mother’s permission, trying to force me to join Voldemort. I’d have died if Regulus hadn’t shoved me into the floo and sent me to the Potters.

“In 1981, Bellatrix, Rabastan, and Rodolphus tortured Alice and Frank Longbottom into insanity. They still sit in St. Mungo’s to this day. And in 1971, Bellatrix tortured a daughter of this House for daring to marry a muggleborn man,” Sirius said, looking to Andromeda. “For that, the contents of her vaults will be transferred into yours for reparations. I know it can’t erase what she’s done, Dromeda, but it’s something. You deserve something.” 

“What about the Longbottoms?” Andromeda asked, though he could see tears in her eyes.

“I will give them the dowry and match it,” Sirius shrugged. “We’ve got a shit ton of money, if you hadn’t noticed.” 

“She’s really going to die?”

Sirius looked over at Narcissa, who was still and quiet. He felt sympathy flood him. Bellatrix had always been cruel to both her sisters, but he knew Narcissa had never wanted anything more than approval from her older, deranged sister. “I’m sorry, Cissa. It’s what she deserves. Magic judged it.” 

“I know,” she breathed. “I just wish I could… see her once more.” 

“We can hold a private memorial,” he said, though he hated himself for doing it. No one in the house wanted it aside from Narcissa, but having missed so many years of friendship with his cousin, he wanted to make her happy. 

“Thank you.” 

“What about your heir?” Draco wondered. Sirius’s eyes lit up.

“Yes! See, this was a hard one for me. I’d have picked Harry, of course, but he’s going to accept Lordship over the Potter House tomorrow, and he refused to be Lord of two houses.”

“I don’t even know enough to be Lord over one!” Harry defended. Sirius heard him mumble something about Lordship over Slytherin and moved on quickly as Hermione shot him a glare. 

“Which left me with two options. You’ll forgive me, Draco, for not picking you since this is the first time we’ve met,” Sirius shrugged. 

“Who is the other option? There’s no one left,” Draco frowned in confusion. 

“That’s not true,” Sirius grinned. “Because a certain muggleborn girl helped me escaped the dementor’s kiss a couple of years ago, igniting a guardian bond.”

“Granger?” Draco gaped, his eyes flicking over to the girl in question. “He’s your magical guardian?”

“Yep,” she nodded with a sigh. She still hadn’t managed to ask Sirius why he’d never bothered mentioning it. She added it to the list of things she needed to talk with him about. 

“So, Hermione will be adopted into the House of Black, and she’s my heir!” 

“Merlin’s sake,” Tonks let out a laugh. “What about her parents?” 

“I had a talk with them,” Sirius said. Hermione’s smile dimmed at the memory. “I might have convinced them to move to Australia until this war is over.” 

“It was my request,” Hermione spoke up. “They already know something is happening. We’ve been fighting about it, and I had to come stay with Sirius last summer because they wanted to keep me from Hogwarts. I just… want them to be safe."

“And I assured them that she would be safe and they gave their consent for her to be adopted,” Sirius explained. “So, Hermione is heir. The adoption will be after the Wizengamot session since we couldn’t do it with quite such short notice.”

“And what is the plan for the House?” Andromeda asked him. 

“Fighting this war,” he told them. “Fighting the discrimination against muggles and muggleborns as well as against Beings. We will talk more of it after tomorrow’s Wizengamot session.” 

“What is to happen then?” 

“A lot,” he grinned. “As a matter of fact, you should all come just to see the looks on their stupid faces.” 

“I’m sure we’ll all be there.”

* * *


	18. Chapter 18

Harry sat in the public seats with the majority of his family. Only Narcissa was on the other side with the Sacred Twenty-Eight. They would have taken their seats, but they had to be recognized by the Ministry before they could, and that had to happen during the session. 

There had been much discussion on how to get the Founders into the Wizengamot hall without causing a scene before they wanted to. In the end, they’d been transfigured and disillusioned and sat behind the Black family, waiting their turn. Dumbledore had graciously edited the list so that they’d come at the beginning instead of in alphabetic order as they usually did. 

Before House matters came law review, which was truthfully just very boring. Umbridge had, unfortunately, been recovered from the forest and was currently proposing a new bill to restrict centaur land even more. Despite Harry’s anger towards the beings - or Beasts, as the Ministry classified them - he knew the ministry was entirely unfair to them. They were being hurt for absolutely no reason. The ministry wouldn’t even have records of the attack during the Founders time and as far as he was aware, there were no other attacks.

“Now, we will move onto House matters,” Dumbledore announced, looking over at him and Sirius with what he could only imagine was slight disdain. “First on the agenda is something rather… unusual. I implore you all to remain calm while we sort this out.” 

“Just get to it, man,” someone on the Ministry wall called out. Dumbledore’s calm smile didn’t waver as he moved his wand through the air, the wills and official documents of the Founders’ enlarging so they could all read it. 

“Helga Hufflepuff, Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin have all traveled through time and are here with us today.” 

Harry wasn’t surprised by the shouting. Many people were looking around in suspicion, trying to spot them while others were accusing Dumbledore of lying. 

“As these documents clearly state,” he called, using his wand to be heard over the crowd. “They made the conscious decision to come to our time after an incident with a time turner sent Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ronald Weasley to the past.” 

More shouting and Harry was definitely getting a headache, which wasn’t good considering that it was only their first announcement. 

Harry turned when he felt the people behind him stand and saw they’d already removed the spells. They gathered attention rather quickly as they stood tall and walked together down to the floor. He could feel wariness from his father and didn’t blame him - the political climate of his time was tense, and they would only serve to make things worse for the moment. 

“Albus,” Salazar said smoothly. “Please perform the core identification charm so they might regain their composure.” 

Dumbledore obliged, waving his wand silently at each of them. Above them, their names glimmered in the air, confirming their identities. With that done, Rowena looked out at the crowd. 

“We understand you all have questions,” she assured them. “The largest of which being, why are we here? I can tell you truthfully that it is because we feared not only for our future students but for the future itself. When we discovered a way to send Harry, Ron, and Hermione home, we decided to join them in hopes of saving their futures.” 

“There is, of course, more,” Dumbledore told the room, this time obviously irritated. “While in the past, Harry Potter was magically and legally adopted by Salazar Slytherin. He is now his son and sole heir. Furthermore, the half-blood Tom Riddle, also known as the Dark Lord Voldemort, has no claim to the Slytherin line.” 

That last sentence was a shock to most for many reasons. For one, very few knew Voldemort’s real name, and for another, Voldemort was supposed to be the pureblood heir of Slytherin, something that had easily garnered a third of his supporters. Now… it was Harry, and Slytherin himself was there to confirm it. 

“Surely the adoption wasn’t legal,” Avery called, looking frustrated. “For a wizard to be adopted in our modern society, there must be a magical adoption overseen by a Ministry employee.” 

“Fortunately for them, the adoption was sealed by a coven of seven witches.” 

All the noise stopped. 

“Dumbledore, covens haven’t existed for centuries,” someone called. 

Salazar looked at the man in shock. “Yes, it- it  _ was _ centuries ago. Have you been listening?” 

“Surely this isn’t legal,” Umbridge called. She’d been seething from her seat for the past few minutes and, apparently, was unable to hold it in any longer. “Potter is no Slytherin!”

“I believe I disagree,” Salazar said, narrowing her eyes at him. “And you tortured my son.” 

That sent shivers through many people, the cold look in his eyes and the calm tone with which he spoke. 

“That is preposterous!” Umbridge tried, though Sirius got to his feet. 

“Cut the shit, Umbridge. You tortured my godson and you tried to give him Veritaserum against his will!”

“Are either of you pressing charges?” Dumbledore asked, trying to get to the point. Salazar and Sirius both answered at the same time. 

“Yes.” 

Dumbledore let out a sigh, his eyes shifting to Tonks. “Nymphadora, if you wouldn’t mind escorting Dolores out of the chambers.” 

“Sure thing,” Tonks said, though her hair flashed green with annoyance. She really did hate her first name. Dumbledore treating her as if he were in charge of her didn’t help, either. 

The chamber was put on short recess while Tonks did her job and rushed back down. In the meantime, more questions were asked to the Founders in a more relaxed manner, and less accusatory. When the girl returned, Dumbledore brought them back to the agenda. 

“Well, I suppose the only thing left is that they’re all returning to their seats,” Dumbledore announced, waving the Founders over to the House side of the Wizengamot. The four walked over and took their places, and Harry tapped his foot while he waited for his old headmaster to move on. “Next on the agenda is the Black family. Sirius Black has been cleared of all charges by our former minister and has taken up Lordship of the House of Black. Congratulations, Lord Black.” 

“Albus,” Sirius said, nodding at the man as he, too, took his seat on the other side of the room, leaving the seat to Harry’s left empty. 

“There have been many changes to the House of Black. I am pleased to announce that Andromeda Tonks has been welcomed back, as well as her husband, Ted Tonks, and her daughter, Nymphadora Tonks.” 

There was a small smattering of applause before it quieted down and Dumbledore moved on. “Lord Black has also dissolved the marriage contract between Lucius Malfoy and Narcissa Black on the grounds that Lucius violated the contract. This was done in his absence as he was killed during a battle in the Department of Mysteries. Narcissa’s son, Draco, will be taking the name Black and shedding his Malfoy identity.

“Furthermore…” Dumbledore paused, reading the next item with a disapproving frown. “Sirius, my boy, this is very extreme.”

“Respectfully, Albus, I don’t give a shit what you think.” 

Dumbledore shook his head and looked up. “Lord Black has called Judgement on Bellatrix Lestrange and her husband, Rodolphus Lestrange. The Black family magic took their magic and they were announced dead this morning.” 

Whispers broke out and Harry understood. He’d gathered that it wasn’t a very widely used ritual, but Sirius had deemed it necessary and after hearing their crimes, he couldn’t help but agree. 

Harry also understood the implications of the act. By Sirius not only disowning Bellatrix but also calling Judgement, it placed the House firmly far away from the Dark, but more than that, it showed that he would not tolerate any member of his House siding with the Dark. Harry knew they wouldn’t be joining Dumbledore on the side of the Light but rather sitting in the middle with the so-called fence sitters like the Greengrasses or the Longbottoms. 

“The vaults of Bellatrix Lestrange have been transferred to Lady Longbottom as reparations for the damage Bellatrix and her husband did to the Longbottom heir and his wife. Does Lady Longbottom accept these reparations?”

“I do accept,” Augusta confirmed, standing for a moment. Dumbledore nodded at her and she took her seat again. 

“Lord Black has also given a total of two hundred thousand galleons to Andromeda Tonks as reparations for an attack she suffered in March of 1973 by the hands of her sister, Bellatrix. Mrs. Tonks, do you accept?"

Andromeda nodded firmly, staying in her seat. “I do accept.” 

Harry was confused by that. He didn’t understand why the ministry should be involved in such a transaction, but he figured it had to do with the reparations from the first war, something Remus had told him were few and far between. He guessed that the ministry still kept track of who was owed and that since the Black family took care of their own, the Ministry no longer had to pay. 

“Sirius Black plans to soon adopt Hermione Granger into the House of Black at her muggle parents’ request. She will be a daughter of the House and considered to be pureblood.”

Harry felt Hermione’s head shoot up, and he looked over at her. She had wide eyes, and he didn’t blame her. She didn’t know, and neither did he. His eyes slipped over to Salazar’s and he wondered if he would be a pureblood now as well, and if so, why Dumbledore hadn’t mentioned it? Perhaps it was less of a big deal since he was a half-blood. 

“And for our last piece of Black news, Lord Sirius Black has named his heir to be Hermione Granger. She has accepted.”

Harry gripped her hand and watched her stand and move to Sirius’s side to take her place in the heir seat. They weren’t often used, but each of the Twenty-Eight had one. 

“Moving on,” Dumbledore said, looking out at the crowd. “I must once again implore you to remain calm. I am stepping down as headmaster from Hogwarts and will be replaced by Helga Hufflepuff, Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin. Furthermore, they are dissolving the board of trustees and will take full control of the school.” 

“They can’t do that!” 

“The school is privately owned,” Dumbledore sighed, looking just as frustrated as every member of the now dissolved board. “They left it to Harry, Hermione, and Ron in their wills, and it was passed back over to them yesterday morning at Gringott’s. We only had the board until the time we could find their wills and hand it to the rightful owners. Now that they’re here, we are no longer needed for the function of the school.” 

“We have donated hundreds of thousands of galleons to that school,” Nott said in anger, getting to his feet to stare at the Founders. “Even setting up scholarships for mud-  _ muggleborns _ . You cannot ignore the things we’ve done for this school and would continue to do.” 

“Considering the fact that you just tried to call children seeking an education by that despicable word,” Helga said with an intimidating glare. “We do not want your money. Please sit back down.” 

“But on that matter,” Godric said with a frown, looking around. “Why do you need so much money for the school? And  _ scholarships _ ? Do the students not attend for free?” 

“There are certain expenses to running the school,” Dumbledore explained. “Including teachers’ salary, the cost of things like food and books. They pay a small tuition to attend.”

“That is why we left our fortune to the support of the school,” Rowena narrowed her eyes at them. “It would take very little to ensure the things you listed are taken care of. What did you use our money for? What in the name of the gods requires such money?”

“There are things that you would not understand about our world today,” Yaxley told her with a glare. Her gaze snapped to the man but it was Salazar that spoke next. 

“Magical education is more than a fundamental right,” he declared. “It is a necessity. Refusing students a magical education on the grounds that they cannot afford it risks only that they will become an Obscurus for lack of a way to channel their power. It puts them and everyone around them at risk. It is why we seek to teach everyone we can, despite their blood status or family. It is why muggleborn students are so important - they need to be helped because if they are not, they will lose control of the magic that no one around them understands.”

“What about your Chamber of Secrets?” Augusta asked him suspiciously. “Wasn’t that meant to kill all muggleborn kids?” 

Harry could see the regret and pain in Salazar’s eyes that appeared every time he was reminded of his tarnished House and reputation. 

“ _ Our _ Chamber and the Basilisk within were always only meant to protect our school. It was the actions of a cruel man that twisted her to his will to attack innocent children. A man that, may I remind you, is not my descendant.” 

“What, so you  _ like _ muggleborns?” Daniel Greengrass asked him. Harry knew that the man, like his daughters, was not prejudiced. Salazar, however, did not. 

“No,” he said tersely. “As I have just stated, they are in need of our help, something I’ve spent my life trying to provide. I do not know how my House got so… twisted, but I assure you all, it will change.” 

“If we are done with this for now,” Dumbledore said, catching everyone’s attention after Salazar’s sharp and sincere words. “We have more to discuss. Lady Longbottom has officially named her grandson, Neville Longbottom, as her new heir. He is not here with us today, but the ritual was done yesterday.”

“Neville will attend next month’s meeting,” Augusta added. 

“And the last item on our agenda. Harry Potter has taken up Lordship of the House of Potter. While unusual for someone underage, it is still allowed. He will be joining us every month now.” 

Finally, Harry stood from his seat and went over to the Potter seat. When he sat, he felt a shimmer of magic fall over him, something Narcissa had warned him of the day before after the family meeting. It was an old spell on the seats that ensured that only the Lord or Heir of a family could sit in them and cast votes. Anyone else would be thrown down to the floor to find different seats. 

Dumbledore gave a few words before ending the session, much to Harry’s relief. It was a long one and while he’d wanted to pay attention, he’d hated it. 

And as much as he wanted to go home, there was more to do. 

“Harry,” Salazar said, appearing at his side as everyone began filing out. “You did well.” 

“I hated it,” he admitted. “Dumbledore definitely doesn’t seem happy, either.” 

“He can tell the power is shifting,” Rowena told him as they made their way over to the rest of the Black family with Sirius and Hermione. Godric and Helga had gone straight over and were greeting the family. The Founders hadn’t met them yet as they didn’t want to explain any more than necessary, and they still had the majority of Hogwarts to tell. 

“It’s true,” Andromeda agreed. “And I didn’t like his little exhibit of power.” 

“What was that?” Harry asked with a frown. Dumbledore hadn’t looked happy, but what had he done exactly? He had no power to change anything as they were all House affairs. 

“When he asked Mini Tonks to arrest Umbridge,” Sirius explained, ruffling his already messy hair. “He should have asked the guards, but he was pointing out that he was still her superior- if not her boss, but in the Order. Which, by the way, we’re all leaving. They can keep Grimmauld Place for all I care.” 

“How will we know what they know?” Tonks frowned. 

“You’re literally an auror,” Sirius pointed out. “Plus, we don’t really need to know what they know. We need to focus on the bigger picture instead of individual fights as of now.”

“I was wondering,” Draco said quietly to Sirius. He’d observed silently the entire time, sitting awkwardly with the Tonks’. “If you would be willing to grant asylum to two of my friends.”

“Sure, kid. Who?”

“Theodore Nott and Blaise Zabini.” 

Sirius screwed up his face. “Elora Zabini is a piece of work. Poor kid. They can come stay with us in the Manor. Have they already joined Voldypants?” 

“Not yet, but Theo and I were meant to over the summer,” Draco explained, cringing at his nickname for Voldemort. 

“Well, you can let them know when you get back to school. For now, we have a toad to prosecute.”

* * *

After filling out the reports and formally pressing charges against Umbridge, the large group snuck out of the Ministry via the Minister’s floo. The Minister had been a hard role to fill so quickly, and they’d suggested giving the position to Rufus Scrimgeour, but Sirius had sweet-talked Amelia Bones into applying, and they’d managed to avoid the very rat-like man. 

While most of them went back to Black Manor, Harry, Sirius, and Salazar made their way to Potter Manor, which was under a Death Fidelius. 

“Oh, I don’t want to do that again,” Harry complained when Sirius tried to hand him a knife. “Can’t you do it? Didn’t they adopt you?” 

“Sure, but it has to be the Lord of the House. We were lucky the ring was in their vaults, pup, or we wouldn’t be able to get in here at all. Besides, it only has to be a single drop. Just a prick, I promise.” 

“Fine,” he muttered, grabbing the knife. He pressed it against his finger until a few drops of blood pooled up and then flipped the hand over and let it fall to the ground where it hit the wards. The wards lit up blue, becoming visible for a moment, and he felt their magic shift into his command. 

For a sixteen-year-old kid, that felt like a lot of power. 

He pressed again, stepping past the wards where he finally caught a glimpse of his ancestral home. It was a very large brick house, Manor, with a garden out front that was… surprisingly well managed. In fact, for no one having been there in fifteen years, it was extremely well taken care of. The lawn was manicured and the flowers were pristine. 

“Oh, well, I’d wondered,” Sirius grinned. “Miffy!” 

An elf popped in with wide eyes and she tugged at her ears before tossing herself up into Sirius’s arms. “Master Sirius has come home!” 

“There there, Miffy,” he said, stroking her small back. “I’m glad you’re still here.” 

“And you brought my Master Harry Potter-Slytherin!” 

“You know his name?” 

“Mistress Dorea knows all,” Miffy said knowingly. “Mistress Dorea made the old, mean Black man spy on Dumbledore and then tell her. Mistress Dorea has been waiting for you, yes she has.” 

“Oh, Merlin,” Sirius shook his head. “Even in death, that woman is scary as ever.” 

“She be seeing you now,” the elf said. Before Sirius could stop her, she grabbed him by the ear and Apparated them out of there. 

Harry looked up to his father and blinked. “What just… what?” 

Salazar let out a laugh. “It seems your grandmother has been keeping tabs on you, Harry. Perhaps you should go see her.” 

“I’d rather not… interrupt,” Harry said, screwing up his face. “Maybe we can explore a little first.” 

Salazar nodded and the pair made their way into the house. Harry marveled at the sight when he stepped inside. There was a large foyer with beautiful but small pieces adorning the tables. It was likely just for show as he assumed that most used the floo, like in normal wizarding houses, but he appreciated the sight nonetheless. 

To his right was a pair of large, golden doors and, curious, he opened them. Before him was a large ballroom with golden art all over the walls. The room felt joyous as if only happy events could ever be held there and it made him smile. At the end of the ballroom was a set of doors that he could see led to a patio with many chairs sprinkled over the small lawn for stargazing. 

He closed the doors behind him and turned to the left where he found a large study with sliding doors. There were a few bookshelves as well as a couch and table and a desk at the end of the room. The books didn’t seem to be for show, either. Some of them had cracked spines and faded covers, and it made him happy to think that someone like Hermione would deeply enjoy the space. 

The stairs in the middle of the foyer caught his attention next, and he made his way up them. Salazar was quiet the entire time, content to let him explore the place on his own, something that he greatly appreciated. He wanted his father there for it, of course, but it wasn’t something they needed to discuss. 

On the second floor, he found the hall to the left held a set of six bedrooms. Most of them seemed to be guest rooms and weren’t personalized, though two of them were. One held bright red and golden colored walls and had posters of women in bikinis and motorcycles on the walls. There were also pieces of what looked like homework littered all over the room, and after taking a glance at the name, he confirmed his guess that he was in Sirius’s bedroom. 

“By the gods, what is this woman wearing?” Salazar gasped. Harry let out a laugh. 

“It’s called a bikini. It’s for swimming in. Muggles wear them, mostly. I’d imagine Sirius just enjoyed looking at it.” 

Salazar looked vaguely scandalized, a fact that only made Harry laugh harder. He hadn’t given himself much time to consider the things that would be different from the two times, the things that the Founders would have to learn or get used to. Modern fashion was definitely one of those things. 

They moved onto the next room and Harry stared out at all of the books littered on the bed and table and bookshelves and guessed that it was Remus’s room. He wasn’t all that surprised that they both had their own bedrooms with the way Sirius had once described their relationships with his grandparents. 

When they climbed the stairs to the third floor, they found themselves in a large suite that held a small living room, a master bathroom, a room with a few bookshelves, and a master bedroom. He had to guess it had belonged to his grandparents. He moved on, content to look for now but really go through things later. There was a lot to take in and he wanted to see it all. 

The fourth floor held what he knew was his father’s bedroom. It was another suite, but smaller. A bedroom, bathroom, closet, and sitting area. There were Quidditch things scattered all over the room, including a broom that had been snapped in half. He smiled softly, remembering his own broken broom. 

“This is where I’d have grown up,” Harry whispered, looking around the room. His father was at his side, and he took a deep breath. “If there had been no war. If there had been no prophecy and my grandparents had lived. Sirius told me my parents only moved to Godric’s Hollow because my dad thought it was too painful to be here after my grandparents were killed. So if the war had never happened, I’d have grown up here. With my dad and my mom and my grandparents and probably Sirius and maybe Remus. A real family.” 

“We can live here now,” Salazar offered gently. “If that is what you want.” 

“I don’t… I don’t think so,” Harry said after considering the offer. “Maybe one day, but not now. Besides, it’s too big for just us.”

“Let me know,” Salazar requested. Harry nodded a little and glanced around once. He certainly wanted to visit, he wanted to spend time there often enough that someday, he could call it home, but for the moment, he was content just staying in the castle with the Founders as they’d planned.

* * *


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey!! I am so sorry updates stopped suddenly. My laptop had an... accident, and it's been rough. I'm using my sister's to put this up. A new laptop will be here in a few days so hopefully things will resume as normal soon.
> 
> Also, warning, the end of this one is a bit dark.

**Chapter Nineteen**

Hermione felt her hair sparking as she stared at Sirius, her temper rising. “You can’t just fire him, Sirius! He was left in this place with no one but your dead mother’s portrait to talk to for  _ years _ ! He needs help, not to be abandoned!” 

“You don’t bloody know what he needs,” Sirius told her, narrowing his eyes. “Damn lucky I don’t  _ Avada _ him!” 

“Sirius!” Hermione snapped furiously. “He needs help!” 

“He almost got you guys killed,” he reminded her sharply, glaring right back at her. It was possibly the first time their tempers had ever clashed and Remus, Harry, and Salazar were watching on in concern and wonder. “He shouldn’t have been able to lie to Harry, Hermione! That means his bond with the family is breaking and he could damage us more!” 

“So send him to get help! I don’t fucking  _ care _ about your stupid childhood grudge!” 

“Woah,” Harry muttered to the two men next to him. “I’ve never heard her swear before.” 

“I won’t waste money on him,” Sirius told her firmly. “I’m done discussing it.” 

“No, you aren’t,” she snapped, grabbing his arm when he went to turn away. He grabbed her hand to throw it off of him and she screamed out in pain when his finger brushed the glamoured bite mark on her wrist. She stumbled a little and Sirius was forced to grab her to keep her from falling. She grabbed onto her head as pain flooded through it. 

Salazar shot over to them and pulled out his wand. He grabbed her arm gently, careful not to touch the bite mark, and cursed in Parseltongue. “Hermione, you were supposed to tell us if it got worse  _ at all _ .”

“Not that bad,” she muttered as Sirius lowered her to the ground. “It doesn’t hurt unless someone touches it. I can touch it just fine.”

“I told you, this is unlike anything you’ve seen before,” he reminded her, summoning bandages and a pain potion. She drank the potion without question as he took off the glamour and put the bandages on. 

“Is that-  _ was that a bite mark _ ?” Harry asked, horrified. “Mione, how the hell-,”

“Harry,” Salazar said quietly. Harry bit his lip but didn’t push. When Salazar had finally finished wrapping the mark again, occasionally using magic to keep from touching it himself, he let go of her arm. “Hermione, you must be very careful. No one can touch this until we fix it."

"I know,” she muttered, feeling much better after the pain potion. She pushed herself into a sitting position and winced. The pain in her core had slowly been decreasing, but it was just as bad as it had been the night of the battle. 

“You okay, Kitten?” Sirius asked with a frown. “What was that?” 

“Nothing,” she shook her head. 

“Hermione-,”

“Please,” she requested. “Not now.” 

“...okay.”

“And please just send him away,” she asked him, getting right back into the topic they’d been arguing about. “He doesn’t deserve to just be cut off from magic and eventually  _ die _ .” 

“Fine,” Sirius sighed. “Just promise not to do whatever just happened again.” 

Hermione did her best not to roll her eyes. “I’ll try.”

“Good!” Remus breathed out in relief. He trusted Sirius not to lose his shit on a teenager, but he hadn’t seen the man so irritated in a long time. “Perhaps we can gather our things and leave before the Order gets here in thirty minutes, then.”

“Shit, you’re right,” Sirius cursed. He jumped to his feet and reached down to help Hermione up. “Let’s go.”

Hermione stood with Harry at the opposite end of the ballroom from the women in the beautiful dresses, her brow furrowed. “What is it like?”

“ _ Weird _ ,” he laughed, thinking back to when he was adopted. It already felt like it had been forever, a fact he blamed on the Centaur attack and the battle at the DOM, not to mention everything else they’d been through in between those. “It was weird. After the magical adoption, there was this string between Athair and I, and… I tugged it. It felt so odd. I don’t even know how to put it into words.”

“You don’t think this is a mistake, do you?” she whispered, stepping closer. “You know I’m not trying to… steal Sirius from you?”

Harry snorted. “Hermione, I love him, but it sounds like you’ve spoken to the man more than I have. It kinda sucks, but I wouldn’t be upset with you for looking for magical support. I know your parents weren’t always… happy. I think this is a good thing.” 

Hermione breathed out in relief. “I still haven’t actually talked to him about anything I meant to talk to him about. I have a lot of questions for him.”

“And a lecture,” he joked, nudging her with his elbow. She blushed, remembering the night back in the Founders’ time when she’d woken him up and ranted about how they’d witnessed Sirius luring Snape to the Whomping Willow on a full moon.

“It was stupid! And dangerous!” 

“ _ And _ he was a teenager,” Harry shrugged. “It’s been a long time, Mione. Let it go. You weren’t even there.” 

“Hey,” Remus smiled at them. “It’s starting. You guys should get ready.” 

Hermione nodded nervously and watched Harry make his way over to the small seating area around the room where the Black family and some select friends were placed. She bit her lip nervously and hesitated. 

“It’ll be okay,” Remus assured her. 

“Remus,” she frowned at him. “Professor Slytherin told me I needed to find someone and I wasn’t sure who to ask, but… there needs to be a second, a godparent. I was wondering if maybe you’d consider-,”

“Sirius already asked me,” Remus smiled at her kindly. “I said yes.” 

“Oh,” Hermione blinked in surprise. “Oh. Thank you.”

Remus nodded and made his way back over to the coven gathered at the front. The coven had been Salazar and Godric’s suggestion. Sirius had jumped at it, fully aware of how powerful they would be. 

They’d asked every woman in the Black family - Narcissa, Andromeda, and Tonks - to join. Aside from them, Rowena and Helga had offered their assistance, and Hermione had jumped at the offer. Finally, she’d picked Ginny and Luna to complete the unsealed coven. Both girls had been excited, and so the unsealed coven had been formed. All of them stood in the middle of the room, each dressed in matching robes of a light golden color that nearly glowed in the light. 

“Let’s get started,” Godric called. As he had experience in an adoption ceremony, he’d offered to help them. Sirius had been overly pleased and accepted immediately. “We are here to perform the magical, blood, and legal adoption of Hermione Jean Granger by Sirius Orion Black. Is the coven ready?”

“We are,” Ginny replied with a bright smile. She’d immediately been chosen as the person closest to Hermione and was, therefore, leading the ceremony. 

Godric nodded. They were already in the middle of the room at a table. Hermione and Sirius stood on one side with Godric and Remus across from them. The coven walked around them until they stood in a circle around them. They joined hands and Hermione remembered chanting the same words at Harry’s adoption. 

A white-gold surrounded them for a mere moment before it spread out to touch everyone in the room. Hermione knew from asking Rowena after Harry had described it to her that the lines from her to those people were representations of the people she was connected to. She watched in amazement as the lines slowly disappeared until only one was left - one between her and Sirius. 

“Do you, Sirius Orion Black, accept responsibility for Hermione Jean Granger’s life? Her happiness and her safety? Her comfort and her peace?”

“I do,” Sirius confirmed, his hands and voice shaking slightly. The magic in Ginny’s eyes encompassed the man and settled into him. It prodded and entered his magical core, one half of the magical adoption finished. 

“Do you, Hermione Jean Granger, accept Sirius Orion Black as your adoptive father? To be your caregiver and your family?”

“I do,” Hermione managed to choke out. The last of the magic in Ginny’s eyes settled into her magic core excitedly, and she calmed at the feeling. 

“Do you, Remus Jacob Lupin, swear to protect and care for Hermione Jean Granger, should anything happen to Sirius Orion Black?” 

“I do,” Remus confirmed. Some of the remaining magic latched onto him as well, confirming his place as godfather. 

“And now,” Godric grinned. “For the blood adoption.”

Hermione hummed as they set everything up and stared at the light that sat between her and Sirius. Harry had mentioned it and how  _ odd _ it felt, but he hadn’t explained further. Curious from her earlier conversation, Hermione reached out with her magic to touch the light. Sirius jumped, dropping the dagger he’d been handed. 

“ _ Motherfucker _ !” he exclaimed, turning to look at her. Despite how inappropriate his comment was in the middle of an adoption, she couldn’t help but let out a shocked laugh. 

“Sirius!” she laughed. 

“The fuck was that, Kitten?” he asked her, blinking. 

“Harry told me-,”

“Don’t blame me!” Harry exclaimed from somewhere beyond the coven. “I didn’t  _ tell you to touch it _ !” 

“But you told me it felt odd and then didn’t say anything else!” 

“Harry,” she could hear Salazar sigh in exasperation. 

“If we can continue,” Godric laughed, gathering their attention once more. It took them a moment to regain their composure but once they had, the Founder began. With Sirius holding the dagger, he nodded. “Repeat after me.”

They did as they were told, both of them, and muttered the same words they’d spoken before. After they’d both cut their palms and the ceremony had been finished, Godric grinned. 

“Congratulations!” 

* * *

With the adoption over and the guests gone, only the Black family was left. Harry had returned with his father and the rest of the Founders to Hogwarts to begin getting everything in order. Dumbledore was still there for the simple fact that they had other things to do before they wanted to address the school, which they planned to do soon. 

Hermione had found herself a bedroom, one which she’d been assured was free of any dark magic or anything that would hurt her and she had spent a while there to rest and gather her thoughts. 

She wasn’t entirely sure what she thought of being adopted. She still loved her parents a great deal, but they’d also lied to everyone - her parents had been  _ Obliviated _ and sent to Australia. She knew she’d never have them back. 

When Sirius had told them that Hermione would be infinitely safer as a daughter of an Ancient and Noble House, they’d jumped at the chance to keep her safe. It had taken a while to explain to the Grangers that Hermione no longer had a choice about being involved in the war - her choice had been taken the day she’d befriended Harry. It was the only reason they’d agreed to be  _ Obliviated _ . They’d watched Hermione break down in fear and worry over their safety and had agreed to it after making Sirius promise he’d keep her safe. 

Sirius was… frustrating. Certainly not her father, regardless of the adoption. She wasn’t quite sure how to define the relationship aside from something vaguely familial. Hermione knew the entire thing had Sirius a bit jittery. He’d had just as much time to adjust as she had, despite it being his idea. 

There was a soft knock on the door and Hermione glanced up. She’d been sitting at the window for nearly a half hour already, lost in thought. Shaking herself, she waved her hand at the door to open it, practicing some of the wandless magic she knew the way she’d been instructed to do. The more they practiced, the easier it would be. 

Sirius raised an eyebrow at her as he walked over and pulled a chair to sit down opposite her. “Wandless magic?” 

“They taught all of us,” she said softly. “Something happened and if we’d had wandless magic, we might’ve been able to get out of it earlier.”

Sirius frowned at her. “I didn’t even think you might’ve been in danger… what happened?” 

Hermione shifted in her seat a little, uncomfortable remembering. “I’d rather not talk about it, truthfully.”

Despite how much he looked like he wanted to push, he didn’t. “I thought you might wanna talk. Seemed like you had a lot on your mind at dinner. You kept narrowing your eyes at me. A little scary, honestly.”

Hermione let out a surprised laugh. “I did?”

“Mmhm.”

“I have… some questions for you.”

Sirius immediately looked uncomfortable, obviously misunderstanding. “Look, I was never- shit, I was terrified when James named me godfather, okay? I’m not really a  _ fatherly _ influence, and-,”

“Sirius, no,” she shook her head quickly. “That’s not- I wasn’t about to ask you to become my father.” 

“Oh. Shit, go on then.”

With a roll of her eyes, she thought back to her questions. “Well I guess the first thing I want to know is why you lied to the Wizengamot?”

“Huh?”

“You told them I’m already your heir,” she explained. “We haven’t done the heir rituals yet.”

Sirius made a face. “Look, they can ignore an adoption that hasn’t happened quite yet, but they’re weird about heir rituals. If I told them it hadn’t happened yet, they’d just make me wait until it  _ had _ happened.”

“Well… why didn’t you wait?”

“Because they like to meddle in shit that they shouldn’t meddle in,” he sighed. “If they knew I was Lord but I didn’t have an heir yet, they’d lose their shit and try to get me arrested again or something so that the next in line - Draco - could become Lord and hopefully fit their plans better.” 

“That’s awful!” 

“That’s politics,” he agreed. 

“So… that makes sense,” she nodded slowly, her gut twisting anxiously. She fell silent, her anxiety stopping her from speaking again. She was terrified of the answer to her next question. 

“What’s wrong, Kitten?” 

“Something happened,” she told him softly. “And in the past, we knew it would happen. The Founders, they did this… test to see how we’d react in danger. They used Professor Gryffindor’s Seer powers to know who would be the most danger to us in our lives. Harry’s was Voldemort. Mine was… Antonin Dolohov.”

Sirius sucked in a short breath and she swore he paled. “Fuck, Hermione.” 

She looked away and bit the inside of her cheek. “I asked Professor Gryffindor  _ why _ I fought him and he used this old Seer spell to See the day I met Dolohov. It was… it was the DOM. He grabbed me and said… said he wanted to keep me and then he  _ bit _ me, Sirius, hard enough that it bled and Madame Pomfrey says it’ll scar. Then he hit me with this spell and when Professor Gryffindor saw what he hit me with, he got  _ mad _ . He got so mad that he snapped at me and sent me away.”

“What spell?”

“And then it happened and we were there and he’s  _ terrifying _ , Sirius,” she said, her voice shaking. “And he hit me with the spell and it hurt so much. It still hurts. Madame Pomfrey said it’ll go away and it does but then someone touches the bite mark and it hurts again, it feels like I’m being torn apart, and-,”

“Hermione!” Sirius said loudly. She stopped short, staring at him with wide eyes. “ _ What spell _ ?”

She blinked a little and tried to keep her breathing calm. “ _ Anima Coniungere _ .”

Sirius looked like he was going to be sick. “Fuck.  _ Fuck _ .”

“No one will tell me what it is,” she told him, her voice a whisper. “Professor Slytherin took that book on soul magic that you told me to burn. Sirius… I’m  _ scared _ .” 

“Fuck,” Sirius repeated, getting to his feet. He ran his fingers through his hair and began to pace. “Shit! Hermione, how old are you?”

“I- I think I’m still sixteen.”

“ _ Sixteen _ ,” he hissed, forcing his eyes closed. “ _ You’re sixteen _ .”

“Sirius, what does it do?” she asked him softly. “Harry says I should trust them to not tell me, that they’ll figure it out and maybe I should-,”

“No,” he told her firmly. He made his way back over to her and kneeled down to grab her hand. She met his eyes warily. “No, Hermione. No one should keep this from you.”

“I don’t understand. What is it? Why does it hurt so much?"

“How much of that book did you read?” he asked her, waiting patiently for her to remember. 

“Just the first two chapters like you said. You’ve never told me not to read something before so I didn’t.” 

He sighed and nodded. “I’ll get it back from Slytherin. I have no clue where Dolohov found such a curse, Hermione, but it’s bad.”

“Yeah, I can tell, but what does it  _ do _ ?”

“Okay,” he shook himself and tried to gather his thoughts. “Okay. What do you know of soul bonds? The different kinds.”

Hermione frowned a little. “There are familial soul bonds, twin soul bonds, and soulmate bonds, right?” 

“There are a few more that branch off from those but generally, yes. And you know how they’re formed?” 

“Familial and twin bonds are formed at birth and sometimes over the years when the people you consider family change,” she nodded. “Soulmate bonds are formed when you kiss your soulmate.” 

“And soulmate bonds are only possible with one person - with your soulmate?” 

“Of course.” 

“A long time ago, a  _ very _ long time ago, a man found out that the woman he was courting wasn’t his soulmate, so he created a spell,” he began slowly. “A curse, actually. It dug into her and  _ made _ him her soulmate. Her actual soulmate was no longer able to bond with her. Ever.” 

Hermione felt her breath sucked out of her as she began to process his words. “So… Dolohov, he-,”

“Wait,” he requested gently. She nodded and just waited for him to continue. “The way that he ensured it would work was that he mixed it with blood magic. He had to bite her wrist and essentially infect her. The spell went in through the bite and infected her core, took it over until his core was bonded with it and settled in. It took weeks and caused her a great deal of pain.” 

“That’s what happened,” Hermione whispered. She looked down at the hand Sirius was holding and waved her free hand at the wrist to vanish the bandages and expose the still healing bite mark. Sirius stared down at it in horror. 

“Hermione, it is important that you know about this because there is no cure. People have tried for many years to find a cure and they never have.” 

“They promised me they’d find a cure,” she told him softly. 

“I’m not trying to be an asshole, but it’s entirely possible that they won’t.”

“But why did it hurt when you touched it?” 

“Because there are… safeguards on this curse. It’s only your wrist right now and it happens whenever you’re touched at all, but it will… change. Grow. Eventually, it will cover your entire body and it will happen when someone touches you with…” Sirius grimaced. “Romantic or sexual intent. If someone kisses you, it will cause that sort of debilitating pain.” 

Hermione felt nauseous as she stared back at Sirius. She hadn’t seen him so concerned or scared since that night in her third year. “Why would he do that, Sirius? I’d never met him before.”

“Dolohov has been fucked up for years,” he told her plainly. “You need to be really careful, Kitten. Some of the things he’s done… I was an Auror, Hermione. I’ve seen people after he’s gotten to them. You need to stay as far away as possible.”

“It’s not like I plan to pay him a visit,” she shot back at him, momentarily irritated. “And I’m here and I’ll be at Hogwarts. The worst case is if I go to Diagon Alley. It’s not like I’ll be out there looking for him.”

“Soulmates have… perks,” Sirius winced, shaking his head. “Not all have the same ones, but they do. He may be able to, within a certain distance, speak to you… telepathically.”

Hermione’s eyes widened. “That’s  _ possible _ ?”

Sirius made a face at her. 

_ Remember what you did earlier? _

Hermione let out a small shout and jumped a little. “ _ Merlin _ . That’s what that did?”

Sirius nodded at her. “I talked to Harry about it and he let me know. Seems like Slytherin gave him a bit of a lecture, too.”

“I didn’t  _ mean _ to do that,” she said sheepishly. “But I was curious.” 

“Your Achilles heel,” Sirius hummed. “Your curiosity. Your desperation to  _ know _ .”

“Yeah, and yours will probably be Firewhiskey,” she shot back. He let out a small laugh. 

“Fair enough.”

Hermione’s small smile fell into a frown. “What could it do? Aside from… telepathy.”

“He might know where you are,” Sirius admitted. “He might know if you’re in pain, or he might know what emotions you’re feeling. You’d be able to do all of these things, too. There could be more. I know James and Lily had the uncanny ability to somehow show up at the same places completely by accident. Frank and Alice Longbottom could pull on one another’s magic to strengthen a spell. That got pretty dangerous during the war.”

“You think some of these things… are possible?” 

“Or all or none,” he nodded sadly. “There’s no way to know until we know. It is possible that he put more effort, more of his magic into the curse and that could bring more… perks.” 

“Why did they try to keep it from me?” she wondered softly. 

“Because it’s bloody fucking terrifying,” he replied. “Hermione, I don’t know if you understand the truth of what he’s done. You will never know who your soulmate is and you will never be able to bond with them. You will forever be connected to Dolohov. Worse is that werewolves will recognize that bite on your arm as you having been claimed. The worst of the worse like Greyback, they might take you to him if they ever meet you. It’s bloody dangerous out there for you now and not just because you were raised a muggleborn.”

Hermione fell silent. She almost wished she’d just listened to Harry and never asked about it. She didn’t want to be in such danger and the fact that there was a chance that a werewolf would see her and just take her to Dolohov terrified her. The entire thing terrified her. 

“Don’t tell anyone,” she requested quietly. He stared at her, but she shook her head before he could reply. “Please, Sirius. I’m scared.”

“Okay,” he agreed in a whisper. “Our secret, then.” 

“Thank you."

* * *


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter Twenty**

Harry, Hermione, and Ron ran down the stairs together from the Founders’ office. Hermione had floo’d over minutes earlier after oversleeping. It made them all late for breakfast, which Harry had promised three times the night earlier wouldn’t happen. 

When they reached the Great Hall, they were not surprised to find it full. They took seats at the very end of Gryffindor table, closest to the staff table. Dumbledore was already there and it seemed he hadn’t spoken to the school yet, if the loud whispers said anything.

“Why were you late?” Ron hissed at Hermione, tapping his foot nervously. “We were supposed to be here five minutes ago, Mione!”

“I know,” she frowned down at her hands. She was unusually quiet and tense, and hadn’t even bothered to yell at him for snapping at her. “It was a long night, okay?”

“Hey,” Harry interrupted before Ron could continue trying to pick a fight. He nodded at the doors and both of them spotted the Founders beginning to walk into the room. At the same time as Dumbledore, the trio got up and walked up the steps to meet their old Headmaster up there. The founders got there at the same time that they were noticed and whispers turned into loud conversation, and finally shouted, confused questions. 

“Quiet,” Dumbledore called. A hush fell over the room and Dumbledore nodded firmly. “Thank you. As you can tell, Undersecretary Umbridge was removed from the castle a couple of nights ago. She will not be returning. Unfortunately, neither will I.”

“Who are  _ they _ ?” a voice shouted over the silence. Harry spotted Pansy Parkinson and did his best not to glare at the girl. It wasn’t going well. She was just so easy to glare at. 

“Ah, yes. A few days ago, there was an accident. Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley were sent eight hundred years into the past where they were then taught by the Founders of Hogwarts. Harry was adopted by Salazar Slytherin."

There was a moment of shocked silence.

"He's not lying," Harry spoke up. "We brought them back with us and got rid of Umbridge."

Dumbledore nodded. "They will be taking over once more and I will be stepping down to focus on protecting everyone from within the Ministry."

"You've gotta be kidding," someone muttered loud enough that they could hear.

"I assure you, he is not," Godric spoke up. "We were told about the state of the world today and decided we were needed here."

"But you're dead!"

"That's rude," a voice scolded. The trio and the Founders looked over at the Ravenclaw table to spot Helena shaking her head at a student.

"Helena," Rowena gasped, eyes wide. "Oh, my."

"Mother," the girl greeted with a smile, gliding over to them. "I hope everything went well."

"It did," Helga assured her. "And Théophile?"

"Here," the man grinned from a little ways down the hall. "Eight hundred years is a long time."

"We did warn you," Hermione spoke up when he eyed her in particular. "I told you the day we left!"

"No, hold on," Ginny called from the Gryffindor table. "You knew the Bloody Baron and the Grey Lady?"

"Helena and Théo," Rowena corrected.

"They only said they died in those ways because it's what I knew they'd told everyone," Hermione explained with a sigh. "They had to uphold history."

"I was never in love with Helena," Théo agreed. "It is a quite gruesome tale, isn't it?"

"Then how did you die?" Justin asked them in surprise.

"Mm, a dragon," Helena sighed. "Emrys was very apologetic about it. We told him it was a bad idea."

"I knew it," Salazar hissed. "That boy was much too obsessed with creatures. I did warn him."

"Hey, I know there's a lot to talk about and all," Harry told his father. "But we've got a bunch of students staring at us like we've lost our minds, Athair."

"We will be running this school once more," Helga picked it up. "And teaching. We will be adding classes that you should have been learning already like healing, warding, and strategy."

"Albus," Snape spoke up from behind them. "You cannot seriously be leaving Hogwarts."

"I am," Dumbledore confirmed. The two shared a long look before Snape scowled darkly and leaned back in his chair somewhat like a pouting teenager.

"We will begin the new curriculum next year," Salazar told the school. "And for the last few days of this semester, you may approach us with any questions you have. If we are not around, Harry, Ron, and Hermione will likely also have answers to your questions."

* * *

Dumbledore left shortly after breakfast that morning. He'd only stayed to keep a handle on things until the Founders and the Trio were prepared to handle everything without him. The first day with Dumbledore gone saw all seven of them extremely busy with people hounding them. Salazar had used lunch as a chance to be questioned by the school on the fallacies of his legacy.

It had been hard.

A few Slytherins had been so furious by the truth of Salazar Slytherin that they'd actually tried to attack either him or Harry. It had led to them being immediately expelled. The threat of expulsion to anyone that tried to attack other students had been felt by everyone.

After that lunch, the Founders, Harry, and Ron made their way up to the Founders' office. It had already been rearranged to fit their four desks the way they'd been placed as well. Dumbledore's things had been moved out and replaced with the books, weapons, and magical trinkets that they'd had over the office in the past.

"Ah, there it is," Godric hummed, reaching up to grab the Sorting Hat. He put the magical hat on the nearby desk and moved aside for Salazar to kneel down and glare at it.

"What have you done to my House?" he asked angrily. "Who changed the criteria?"

"Whatever happened, it's not my fault," the Hat reminded him as he waved his wand over the thing. He was given a list of enchantments on the Hat as well as criteria for each House and who placed them.

"Dilys Derwent," Salazar read, narrowing his eyes. "My House has been growing darker and darker for over two hundred years?"

"We can only fix it," Helga reminded him gently. He nodded firmly and began to cast the complicated spells to adjust the Hat.

"Where's Hermione?" Rowena wondered, looking at the boys, who were both complaining about the students that had been bugging them. The pair exchanged a glance and shrugged together.

"She's been in a mood since she floo'd over here," Ron told the woman. "She's barely said a thing to me."

"Yeah, she didn't even yell at him when he was being a prat," Harry agreed, ducking the smack from his friend. "We figured it would be best to leave her alone."

Rowena pursed her lips. "And neither of you bothered to ask what was wrong, hm?"

"Er, no?"

"Very well. Next time you see her, please send her to us. We've got some things to discuss with her."

Salazar shouted and cursed in Parseltongue, spouting off a few words that made Harry blush. Everyone stared at him in shock as he glared down at the Hat. "You are not supposed to work like that!"

"I don't control how I work."

"Ridiculous hat," Salazar snapped, crossing his arms. "You cannot perform Occlumency! You are a hat!"

"I know that, do you?"

"Is- is he arguing with the Sorting Hat?" Ron asked Godric, who was snickering at the sight before them.

"Hats cannot perform Occlumency!" Salazar continued. "You can only read minds to the extent that you are charmed to. You cannot reach the farthest depths of ones' mind!"

"I do what I do. Yelling at me won't change that."

"Sal," Helga interrupted, touching his arm. "What happened?"

"It reached through my mind to find my affinity for Dark magic," he explained, glaring still at the hat. "It only broke past my shields because I did not expect to need them against a hat."

"Obviously, someone has charmed it," Rowena told him. "We can remove the charm. Was it looking specifically for an affinity for dark magic?"

"Yes," he nodded firmly. "And dark influences in one's life."

"Explains Crabbe and Goyle," Harry spoke up. "They're too stupid to be in Slytherin."

"Too stupid to be in any House," Ron corrected. Harry nodded along. Having met the Founders, they could both think of people that had no business being in any House at all.

"We will fix it," Godric assured his friend. "We can re-sort the school over the coming weeks."

"Wait, what?" Harry blinked. "Re-sort us?"

"Of course," Rowena hummed. "It has been Sorted unfairly. You, I would wager, would be in Slytherin naturally."

"Well, sure, but everyone?"

"And give first years a fresh start," Godric smiled. "No need to re-sort seventh years… though perhaps we should allow them to retake their final year since it was so-,"

"Fucked up?" Ron asked.

"Language," Rowena scolded. Harry's eyes lit up.

"Hermione said fuck!" he exclaimed, much to everyone but Salazar's shock. "She was arguing with Sirius and they were really mad and she swore!"

"What is happening to her?" Ron snorted. "It's like she no longer has a stick up her arse."

"Ronald," Rowena narrowed her eyes. "That is incredibly rude."

"Sorry, Professor."

* * *

She wasn't entirely sure how it had happened, honestly. She'd been wandering around the halls and avoiding her friends for nearly an hour when she'd found herself in the dungeons. Her mind flashed back to the Founder's test as she neared the potions room and she stopped short in the door. She could still imagine Slytherin sitting there dead. It haunted her.

"What do you want, Granger?" a voice snapped at her. She gasped at the noise and finally saw Snape glaring at her from his desk on the left side of the room.

"Oh, Professor, I-,"

"If you think I'm going to treat you special now that you've made friends with the Founders, you're wrong."

"I didn't expect-,"

"In my mind, you're as insufferable and obnoxious as you were before."

"Leave her alone."

Hermione jumped and took two large steps forward when Draco spoke from behind her. "What are you doing?"

He ignored her and stared at his godfather. "I was never able to tell you because Lucius was threatening Mother, but you have no damn reason to be such an asshole. Granger is better than I am in Potions and you single her out for it."

Snape narrowed his eyes at the blonde boy. "I am still your Professor and you are still my student. Detention, Mister Malfoy, for a week. The same to you, Granger."

"It's Black," Draco told him. Snape glared at him and finally, he grabbed Hermione by her upper arm and pulled her out of the room and down the hall. She tugged her arm away from him quickly and frowned.

"What did you do that for?" she asked, confused. "It wasn't anything new."

"You were just staring, Granger."

"Hermione," she said absently, thinking back to what she'd been thinking about. "I know I was. I didn't realize he was in there."

"How? He was right there."

"Lost in thought," she tried. "I've got a lot on my mind… why did you yell at him? He's your godfather, Draco."

"Lucius named him my godfather," he explained shortly. "Despite how I may have treated you, Granger-,"

"Hermione-,"

"I never did hate you. You're smart."

"And now we both have detention for a week," she sighed, rubbing her forehead. "Great."

"What happened to Potter and Weasel?"

Hermione narrowed her eyes. "I thought you didn't hate us."

"You. And Potter. I can't stand Weasel."

"I think they went with the Professors to the office," she waved him off. "I wasn't really paying attention."

"And you didn't go?" he raised an eyebrow. She bristled.

"I'm not attached to them, Draco. I don't need to be with them always. I have things of my own to deal with."

"Like whatever had you so lost in thought that you didn't notice Snape?"

"You wanna know about that?" she asked, irritated. There was no way she'd tell him why she was actually avoiding her friends, but he might believe her if she told him what had happened.

"I am curious."

"Fine. We were here with Helena Ravenclaw and our friend, Théo. School wasn't in yet. The Professors decided they needed to know how we'd react to real danger, so they faked the death of Professor Slytherin, Helena, and Théo. We walked into the Potions classroom and I gave Professor Slytherin CPR - a muggle way of restarting a heart - for ten minutes. It was the first time I'd ever seen a dead body."

Draco was quiet for a moment. "They weren't dead. Were you in danger?"

Hermione's stomach flipped at the reminder of her fight. She glanced around, suddenly uncomfortable. "No, not real danger."

"But?"

"Why do you think there's a 'but?'"

"Because I don't think I've ever seen you look so close to passing out. Not even while Potter was fighting a bloody dragon."

Hermione didn't even have the energy to glare at him. She wasn't even sure she wanted to. "Professor Gryffindor is a Seer. He used a spell to figure out who would pose the most danger to us in our lives. Mine was a man I've recently run into for the first time."

"A Death Eater," Draco realized. "Who? I probably know them."

Hermione realized he was right. He'd been in that world his entire life and had clearly interacted with a number of Death Eaters because of his father. "You might."

"Do you know why they're a threat to you?"

She gave a near hysterical laugh and covered her mouth with the back of her hand. She didn't need to get emotional in front of him. "Now I do."

"You're… scared."

"I don't know why I'm even talking to you," she sniffed, taking a step back. "You've been horrible to me for years."

"Because we're… family now," he told her, looking slightly pained. "And no matter what you think, that is important to me."

"I'm not a mudblood?"

Draco winced. "No. You weren't before."

Hermione was unable to continue trying to fight him at those words. "Yes, I'm scared. If you knew what he did…" she shook her head. "I haven't seen Sirius so… so fucked up before as I did when I told him what happened."

"What did happen?"

"I was cursed."

"Curses have cures."

"There's no cure for this," she disagreed. He looked like he took that as a challenge.

"Maybe not yet. Tell me what it is."

"No," she stared at him like he was crazy. "I'm not even telling my friends, Draco. They'll… they'd lose it. Sirius did. Professor Gryffindor did, and now that I'm thinking about it, Professor Slytherin looked pretty scared, too."

"What the hell could be that bad? What sort of curse is that bad and over eight hundred years old?"

Hermione stared at him. They were family. He was right. More than that, she was Sirius's heir, which meant that Draco couldn't disobey whatever she told him. Biting her lip, she nodded. "Anima Coniungere."

Draco paled horribly. He looked just as sick as she felt and when his eyes slid down to her wrists, she removed the glamour over the bite and let him look at it. "Shit, Granger- Hermione. Who the hell-,"

"Dolohov," she answered him. "At the DOM. Sirius explained the entire thing to me. Does it make sense now why I'm avoiding them?"

"Yes," he confirmed, grabbing her hand. She let him, despite being startled, and watched as he turned it over to look at the bite. It was still swollen and dark but it hadn't been touched in two days and so it was beginning to feel better. "I knew he was… I never imagined he'd do something like this. To a teenager, too."

"Sirius was caught up on that part, too," she admitted quietly. "He asked me how old I was after I told him what spell it was. Truthfully, I don't know how old I am. I think I might be seventeen now."

"Go to a muggle neighborhood and perform magic," he suggested offhandedly, eyeing the nasty injury. "You're right. There's no cure to this."

"Thanks," she muttered, tugging at her hand. He tightened his grip on it and she met his eyes, startled.

"Be careful," he warned her quietly. "Dolohov is powerful, Granger. He's smart. He'll find you."

She glared at him until he released her hand. With it back, she put up the glamour once more and dropped it to her side. "Have anything cheerful to say? Anything supportive?"

Draco considered the request seriously. "No. But I'll watch out for you. If he did that, he won't be the only person you need to look out for. You need to watch for anyone that might take you to him."

"Great."

"See you in detention."

"Can't wait."

* * *


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter Twenty-One**

Harry threw his head back and let it hit the wall behind him. He was in the Founders’ office while they were at Black Manor to meet with Sirius about something they’d claimed was urgent. He was left there in case anyone needed them. He felt vaguely like a secretary. 

A knock on the door startled him and he waved his wand at it to open it. When Professor McGonagall entered the room, he straightened. He hadn’t spoken to the woman yet since returning and he found himself feeling a bit sheepish. 

“Mister Potter,” she greeted. “Or Potter-Slytherin?”

“Whichever,” he shrugged. “D’you need one of them? They’re at a meeting with Sirius right now but if it’s an emergency, I can-,”

“No, perhaps I can ask you,” she considered. “Would you happen to know why Miss Granger is in detention with Mister Black?”

“Er, Mister Black?”

“Draco,” she clarified. 

“Oh,” Harry shook himself before pausing. “Wait, what? Hermione got detention with  _ Malfoy _ ? Er- Black. Whatever. Why?”

“That is what I have come to figure out. It seems they both have detention for a full week starting tonight.” 

“Huh,” Harry shook his head slowly. “No, I haven’t seen her since the beginning of the day. None of us have. I know the Professors wanted to see her whenever we found her but that’s all.” 

Professor McGonagall pursed her lips. “Severus  _ did _ give a reason, but it seemed unlikely…”

“Snape gave the detention?” Harry frowned. “To Hermione  _ and _ Draco?”

“He claims that they were mouthing off at him.”

Harry took a moment to imagine the two smartest people in their year mouthing off at Snape. The mental image made him grin. “I’ll let everyone know. If I find Hermione, I’ll tell you what happened.” 

“You seem much too happy up there,” she commented, eyeing him. He grinned brightly at her. “Don’t forget, you are still a student.”

“Oh, I haven’t,” he assured her. “I’ll be in class on time.”

“Mm.”

Harry watched her leave and managed to withhold his laughter until she shut the door behind her. She’d never really listened to him about anything important before and he admitted to himself that he liked that she was unable to dismiss him. 

“What are you smirking about?”

Harry leaned far back in his chair until he was looking upside-down at Phineas Black’s portrait. “Your entire family were Slytherins, right?”

“Until your godfather, that is correct.”

“Turns out you’re just awful bigots that never deserved to be in Slytherin.” 

Phineas grinned at him. “I thought the very same, Potter. That’s why I was disowned.” 

“You know, the people in your family that have been disowned keep ending up as my favorite parts of your family.” 

“I believe I quite agree.”

* * *

“What would you like to do with your DA?” Salazar asked. Harry groaned and ducked the attack from Godric, sparing a glance at his father. 

“Keep it,” he managed to call out, coughing when Godric managed to hit his stomach. “Shit, that hurt.” 

“Cursing does not make you a better fighter,” Godric told him with a wink. 

“Maybe, but it feels pretty good when my own uncle punches me,” he shot back. He waved his hand and managed to hit Godric with  _ Melofors _ . A pumpkin encased his head and Harry took the time to disarm and stun the man. “Thank  _ Merlin _ .”

“Why are you keeping your DA? We can teach the school.”

“Sure, but they don’t trust you like we do,” Harry pointed out, cancelling the spells on his uncle. “I think they might need that sort of group again. With the adults we’ve had in our lives, the constantly changing staff, they trusted us to have their backs and teach them when our professor didn’t. Even if that’s not how it goes, I wanna make sure they have somewhere to go that they trust until they understand that you guys care. Maybe not named after Dumbledore this time. Hermione can come up with a new name.”

“If we ever see her again,” Godric muttered, wiping the pumpkin guts off his face. “It’s been three days.” 

“It’s like she’s not even  _ here _ . I don’t get it.” 

“Something is wrong,” Salazar told them both. “I am unsure what.” 

“She’s never avoided us like this before,” Harry admitted, frowning to himself. “For a few hours while she’s annoyed maybe, but not for  _ days _ .”

“Ask Hogwarts to help you,” Godric suggested. “And if you find her, bring her here.” 

Harry nodded and closed his eyes to focus. 

_ Do you think you can help me find Hermione? _

_ She is in my Room. _

Harry’s eyes shot open in shock. “How the  _ hell _ did I miss…” he shook himself off and got to his feet, rushing from the room. He didn’t catch the glance the two men shared as he made his way out. The Room was two floors up room their office, so it only took him five minutes to get there. The door was closed, but it was there. He opened it and stepped inside cautiously. 

The Room was a giant library all around with multiple comfortable seating areas scattered about the place. She wasn’t in sight, so Harry stepped deeper into the room and began searching. He stopped only when he heard voices. 

“-not  _ possible _ ,” Hermione was saying with a small laugh. “You can’t trick a boggart no matter how hard you try. Were you even paying attention in third year?” 

“I knew plenty about boggarts before third year, thank you very much,” someone else sniffled. “I’m just  _ saying _ , it could work… in theory.”

“ _ In theory _ ,” Hermione repeated, giggling. “Go ahead and try it, Malfoy.”

“Stop calling me that,” Draco growled. Harry covered his mouth with his hand to keep from gasping. 

“Then stop calling me Granger,” she shot back. “Just give me the stupid book. I’ll handle it.” 

“Fine,  _ Black _ ,” he muttered. There was a bit of shuffling in which Harry imagined he handed over the book and then they fell into silence. Harry blinked at himself. He knew that they were friendly with Draco, that they’d be seeing a lot more of him, but she was actively avoiding them to spend time with him. 

_ Why _ ?

He backed out of the room slowly and quietly and turned to run back to the office. He wasn’t sure what he’d just witnessed but it made him uncomfortable and he felt the need to figure it out before he asked her about it. 

* * *

“How are the re-sortings going?” Helga asked as she fell into step with Salazar and Godric. Rowena was busy trying to handle her estate, which had been left a slight mess when Helena had died so suddenly. Helga had been interviewing assistant mediwitches for Madame Pomfrey as the hospital wing was clearly understaffed. That had left the two men to handle the start of the re-sorting. 

“Fine,” Godric said slowly. “About half of them have been moved so far. We are allowing them to stay in their current dorms for the rest of the year to keep everyone calm. There are only a few days left, after all.” 

“And how do they seem to feel about us?” she wondered curiously. She hadn’t had much time to interact with too many students herself yet. 

“It varies,” Godric answered her slowly. “Mostly they regard us with awe.”

“It is confusion for me,” Salazar disagreed. “They do not yet seem to know what to make of me.” 

“I’m sure Harry will help with that,” Helga assured him. “From what you’ve said, Harry is somewhat famous here.”

“And with his temper, what would you bet he will get into a fight when someone insults you?” Godric grinned, earning himself a glare from Salazar and a stern frown from Helga. 

“Where have the current Slytherins been going?” she wondered. 

“It is actually fairly even,” Salazar admitted. “They are being spread out through all of the Houses. Only some have stayed.” 

“And have you Sorted Harry, Ron, or Hermione yet?” 

Salazar exchanged a glance with Godric. “Harry and Ron, yes. Harry is in Slytherin, Ron has moved to Ravenclaw.”

Helga looked disappointed. “She is still avoiding us?” 

“It seems so.” 

“What does Harry think?” 

“He has completely avoided the topic,” Salazar frowned. “I think this may have something to do with the curse. We do not know how it may be influencing her.” 

“It should not be settled for another fortnight,” Godric shook his head in confusion. “He should not have such a grip on her yet. Do you think it is worse than we assumed?”

“You saw it,” Salazar pointed out. “You tell us.” 

Godric thought back to the vision he’d seen. “It was extremely powerful. He had some horrible things in mind, that was clear. If he were determined, I imagine he might be able to hurry the curse along.”

“We have to start working,” Helga muttered, her brow furrowed in concern. “As soon as school is out.” 

“I agree,” Salazar nodded. “We will use Rowena’s library. Perhaps Sirius will allow us into the Black library as well.” 

The three turned the corner just in time to catch sight of Hermione’s hair sparking as she glared at Draco, her arms crossed in front of her. 

“I  _ told _ you not to tell anyone!” she snapped, though she didn’t raise her voice. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“Calm  _ down _ , Granger,” he glared back at her. “His father is a curse breaker, a master curse breaker. If anyone can invent something to cure the damn curse, it’s him.”

“Sure, Lord Nott is going to do  _ me _ a favor,” she scoffed. “I’m a mudblood, Draco.”

“ _ Hermione _ ,” he hissed, flinching slightly at the word. “I’m not talking about Lord Nott, for Merlin’s sake. I’m talking about  _ Theo _ . He’s been taught by his father since he was three.” 

“You shouldn’t have told him,” she said, her voice low. “Sirius only knows because  _ I _ didn’t know.  _ You _ know because you pushed too bloody hard. If it were my choice, I’d keep this to myself.”

“And then you’d be taken to Dolohov,” he reminded her. She tensed at the reminder and he ran his fingers through his hair. “It’s true, Granger. You need help.” 

“And that help should have come in the form of you and Sirius,” she reminded him. “I don’t want anyone else to look at me like I’m about to explode, Draco.”

“I don’t look at you like that,” Draco scoffed, somewhat offended. “Sirius?”

She paused. “No. He just looks at me like he’s terrified. I don’t know what Dolohov has done that’s so bad-,”

“You don’t want to,” Draco assured her. “But you’ll find out if he ever uses that bond to get his hands on you, Granger. So just let Theo help you. His library on curses is bigger than ours.”

“Fine,” she dropped her arms to her side. “But if you tell anyone else, I’ll  _ Obliviate _ you and them.”

Draco rolled his eyes as she stomped down the hall. When he turned to walk the other way, he caught sight of the three Founders staring at him with grim looks on their faces and froze. “Oh, for Merlin’s sake. She’s going to  _ Obliviate _ me.” 

* * *

Harry tapped his foot nervously and stared at the group in front of him. The DA had gathered once more, this time without Hermione and Draco but with Theo and Blaise and the addition of Daphne and Astoria Greengrass. “Hey. So I talked with my father and we agreed to keep the DA. We’re, er, gonna change the name to Defense Association.”

“Why?” Neville wondered curiously. Ron made a face.

“Dumbledore’s an arse.”

“In short, Dumbledore is an arse,” Harry agreed. “Basically, he’s had a lot of control over my life. He knew that Voldemort did something to me that meant I’d have to die before Voldemort could be killed, so he left me with my muggle family so that I’d be willing to die. It was only a guess until the Professors confronted Dumbledore and he confirmed that he’d been waiting for me to die.” 

“Shit,” Ginny cursed loudly. “Fuck Dumbledore.”

“Exactly,” Harry laughed a little. “So we’re the Defense Association now. We’ll start back up again next year and meet twice a week, Monday and Thursday, and we’ll start working on everything the Founders taught us. Oh! They’re also going to come to meetings every once in a while and help out.” 

“This is so cool,” Dean grinned at him. “Any clue what changes they’re making?” 

“Yeah,” Harry shrugged. “They’re going to add mandatory classes and get rid of Divination unless you’re a Seer like-,”

“Like Luna,” Ron cut in, shooting him a look. “And Professor Gryffindor.” 

“Er, yeah. Them. I also told Uncle Godric about Binns, so they’re gonna get rid of him and update history of magic so that it’s… the actual history of magic and not just a history of reasons not to fuck with goblins.”

“How else will we know to be afraid of goblins?” Seamus laughed. Harry rolled his eyes despite his smile. 

“Who’s gonna teach us?” Cho wondered. Harry eyed the girl he’d had a crush on before leaving and offered her a small smile. 

“Me, Ron, Hermione, and the Founders.”

“Where  _ is _ Hermione?” Ginny asked him with a small, concerned frown. “I’ve barely seen her lately.” 

“We… er, we don’t really know,” Ron admitted with a wince. “She’s around here somewhere.”

“Any other questions?” 

“Yeah,” Terry Boot spoke up from the back. “Why are we all moving Houses?” 

Harry made a face. “Look, that wasn’t my decision, but… the Sorting Hat was tampered with like two hundred years ago and ever since then, Slytherin has been filled with more dark wizards and witches and less cunning wizards and witches. Athair reset the spells on the Hat after… er, arguing with it, and now it’s more accurate and less invasive. They just want to make sure that everyone has the chance to be in the correct House. I’m in Slytherin now anyway. I got Sorted there back in their time.”

“You’re a  _ Slytherin _ ?” Parvati asked him with slight horror tinging her voice. He rolled his eyes at her. 

“Slytherin literally adopted me, Parvati. Is it really that ridiculous to think that  _ maybe _ I learned something from him?” 

“How long were you guys there?” Lavender asked him curiously before her best friend could reply. Harry and Ron exchanged a glance. 

“Uh, nine months? Maybe?” Ron blinked. “Or like ten?” 

“Well, we had an entire school year,” Harry pointed out. “So that’s nine months and then add the month we were there before that, so yeah, ten months.” 

“Merlin, you were there for almost a year,” Michael Corner shook his head. “That’s incredible. It took you ten months to figure out how to get back?”

“Er, not exactly,” Harry said slowly. “There were a few… other issues that distracted us. Plus, they were all teaching, so they didn’t have time to exclusively look for a way to take us home.” 

“Issues,” Ginny repeated with a sigh. “You got into trouble, didn’t you?”

“It’s not our fault,” Ron defended. “We literally did nothing!” 

“You’re sure that wasn’t the problem.”

“It wasn’t our fault,” Harry said firmly. “There were just some… Territory disputes that turned a bit violent.”

Ron paused, his brow furrowing. “Harry, we’re in our time again.”

“Yeah, Ron, I know.”

“We’re here, Harry,” he repeated, trying to get his point through without saying it. When Harry just stared at him dumbly, he threw his hands up. “What’s to stop Professor Slytherin from going after them now?”

“Oh,  _ shit _ ,” Harry cursed loudly. “Well… he hasn’t yet. If he were going to, he’d have done it already, wouldn’t he?”

“He’s  _ your _ father. What do you think?” 

“...that he’s too busy to do it right now but he’ll do it when he has time.” 

“What the hell are you talking about?” Seamus asked. “Is Slytherin going to hurt someone?”

“Ah, someone killed Harry,” Ron said offhandedly. “Professor Slytherin wanted to kill them for it but they’re still around now, so we couldn’t let him.”

“Ron, the only people that can live so long are centaurs,” Neville told him. Ron nodded along. 

“Yeah, Magorian killed Harry.”

“Well, technically, he didn’t,” Harry cut in. “Technically he  _ tried _ and I drained my core to send him back to the forest and tie him there. I was the one that killed me. Technically.”

“Harry, that’s not possible,” Cho shook her head, frowning at him. “You’re not dead.”

“Well, I  _ was _ dead and then my parents told me to come back, so I did.”

“Your parents are dead,” Dean reminded him. Harry stared at him for a long minute. “Oh, right. You were dead, too.”

“If we’re done discussing that,” Harry spoke up. “We’re not going to meet again for the rest of the year but we’ll meet the first Monday of the new school year.” 

With that, the meeting dwindled to an end and people began to slowly make their way out of the room. Harry and Ron sighed when everyone but Neville, Luna, and Ginny had left, grateful to finally relax.

* * *


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter Twenty-Two**

Draco stared at the portraits hanging on the walls around the office. He’d never actually been called to the Headmaster’s office before. Any time he got in trouble, barring that one time in first year, Snape handled it. He’d always gotten off pretty easily because of it. Sitting there alone, he thought he finally understood why people hated going there. 

After he’d nearly walked into three of the founders, they’d taken him to the office and left him there. In total, he waited nearly fifteen minutes for them to return. When they did, he made sure to sit up straight and offer them all a nod as they filed in and took their seats, this time with Ravenclaw there as well. 

“Thank you for waiting,” Hufflepuff said with a faint smile, though it was grim. 

“We’d like to discuss your conversation with Hermione,” Ravenclaw told him. “We’ve been trying to find her for a few days now.” 

“I can’t tell you anything,” he said firmly. They were truthfully a rather scary group, but he also refused to give up anything about the curse. He’d done it once for her own good. Telling them would do nothing. 

“Well, perhaps you can tell us why she is avoiding us,” Gryffindor requested. “Because it is not only us, Draco, but her friends, too. We’re all very worried about her.” 

“They were just gone for ten months,” Draco pointed out casually. “Perhaps she needs time alone to ground herself.” 

“Draco,” Slytherin sighed. “We are aware of the curse on Hermione. We want to help her, but we can’t do that if she’s avoiding us.” 

“We heard you telling her that your friend’s library may have something to help her,” Hufflepuff continued. “We would like to see if we can help as well.” 

“Lord Nott would never allow you in his library,” Draco said plainly. He did see concern in their eyes, but he wasn’t going to cooperate with them if Hermione didn’t want to. It wasn’t his place. “I told Theo because she trusts him and he may truly be able to help her. There’s no cure to this curse, but he may be able to find a way to, at the very least, suppress it.” 

“We may be able to create a cure with the correct resources,” Ravenclaw insisted. “We plan to do everything we can, Draco, but we do need help. We cannot do this alone.” 

“Then I suggest you speak with Hermione about it,” Draco said firmly. “Because you refused to tell her about it before and instead, Sirius told her. He isn’t the most stable and calmest person, is he?” 

“He is not,” Gryffindor sighed, shaking his head. “I was unsure how to tell her.” 

“I have nothing for you,” he told them truthfully. “If you talk to her and she decides she wants Theo’s help and yours, you can see about working together.” 

“She will not speak with us,” Hufflepuff reminded him. “Or Harry and Ron.” 

“Would you like to know why she’s speaking with me?” at their nods, he raised an eyebrow. “Because I saw how afraid she was before she could hide it. She doesn’t want anyone else seeing her like that. Without me, she would be alone right now.”

“We have seen her afraid,” Gryffindor blinked in confusion. “More than once.” 

“Before the other day, I have never once seen her afraid for herself.” 

The founders exchanged a glance as they understood the difference. During the test, she’d been afraid for Slytherin and for Harry. During the centaur attack, she’d been afraid for her friends, the students, and the founders. 

Never for herself.

“Thank you, Draco,” Hufflepuff nodded. “You can go.” 

The blonde got up and left, leaving them alone again. The four friends sat down, all different levels of frustrated and concerned. 

“We should have told her,” Salazar muttered, rubbing his forehead. 

“It wasn’t an immediate problem,” Rowena sighed. “But now… you are right. We should have told her when it happened.” 

“I cannot imagine what Sirius told her,” Helga frowned to herself. 

“If he’s in my House, he will have told her the truth,” Godric shook his head regretfully. “Poor girl.” 

“What do you suggest we do?” Helga wondered. “We must handle this quickly. If we hope to get Theo’s help, we will have to speak with him before school ends.” 

“Find Hermione,” Rowena said. “Discuss it with her as Draco suggested. Ultimately, this is her life. She deserves to know what is going on.” 

“Tomorrow,” Salazar suggested. “For now, I believe we should continue on our search for this supposed curse.” 

His friends all grimaced. 

They were  _ not _ enjoying that task. 

* * *

Harry sat cross legged on the couch while Ron paced back and forth in front of the table. While Ron tried to process and come to terms with what Harry’d told him, Harry focused on feeling around for his core. It was something Rowena had suggested he learn to do. Apparently, it was helpful during battle to see how drained you were. 

“But they’re related!” 

Harry glanced up at the same outburst that Ron had already had twice before and sighed. “Yes, Ron, but not by  _ blood _ . Besides, it’s the Black family. Sirius’s parents were first cousins. I don’t think they care.” 

“I just don’t get it,” Ron sighed heavily, throwing his arms up. “I don’t get it.” 

“Well, neither do I, but I think we should probably just focus on being supportive,” Harry suggested, eyeing Ron as his pacing began to slow. “She’s obviously having a hard time.”

“D’you think it’s because of Sirius?” Ron wondered, earning himself a dirty look. “I’m not blaming Sirius! I just mean he adopted her. Maybe she misses her parents.” 

“She might,” Harry blinked. It was a good thought. He knew their friend didn’t always spend a lot of time with her parents over the summer, but she’d been gone for ten months, plus the ten from school before that and the time she’d spent at Grimmauld Place, which meant she hadn’t seen them in over a year and a half. And then when they’d gotten back, she’d gone to see them only to let them know that it wasn’t safe to see them again. “Wow, we’re thick.” 

The door opened behind them and they both looked up. They were in the Room of Requirement because Harry had asked Hogwarts to let him know where Hermione was and when she was alone. It was perhaps a bit creepy, but he was worried about her. Over the past few days, she’d gone to the Room at the same time and was there alone for about fifteen minutes before Draco joined her. 

“Oh,” Hermione blinked, freezing. “Hello.” 

“Mione, thank Merlin,” Ron breathed in relief. “We’ve been so worried.”

Guilt colored her face and her shoulders dropped. “I guess it has been a few days, hasn’t it?” 

Harry nodded. “We’re not the only ones, either.”

Ron nodded too, tapping his hands against his legs to dispel the energy he’d gathered from pacing. “The professors wanted to see you, but you were missing. Professor Slytherin argued with the Sorting Hat.”

Hermione let out a small laugh. “He argued with a  _ hat _ ?”

“Yeah, it was great.” 

“I’m sorry,” she sighed, coming to sit next to Harry. Ron plopped down on her other side as well. “I guess I’ve just had a lot on my mind.” 

“Like… dating Draco?” 

Hermione stared at Harry in confusion and slight horror. “ _ What _ ?”

“Look, we’re okay with it,” Harry assured her, speaking quickly so she wouldn’t interrupt. “And I don’t really get how  _ you’re _ okay with it, but if it makes you happy, then it’s fine. We just wanted to make sure you’re okay and since you are-,”

“Shut up!” Hermione said, smacking his arm. “Merlin, Harry,  _ ew _ . I’m not dating him. He’s technically my cousin now!” 

“That’s what I said!” Ron agreed, nodding rapidly. 

“Well… it’s just… I walked in here the other day and you two were talking and being all friendly and-,”

“Being  _ friendly _ ,” Hermione laughed. “Because we’re  _ friends _ . I’m not dating him.” 

“Oh,” Harry blinked, embarrassed. “Right, well… if you wanted to-,”

“Oh my god, Harry,” Hermione smacked his arm again. “Shut up.” 

“I’m just saying,” he grinned at her. “If you wanna get cozy with Malfoy, we won’t bother you.”

“Uh, he won’t,” Ron disagreed. “I definitely will.” 

* * *

Minerva McGonagall just wanted to do her job and teach. She wanted to prepare her students for the world ahead of them. She wanted them to know everything they could and become even better than her. 

But currently, her classroom was overrun by four founders who were searching for a fake curse. 

“What do you know of it?” Helga asked her with a kind smile. Minerva returned it. 

“I don’t believe it exists,” she admitted. “I, for one, believe that this ‘curse’ was all Albus’s doing.”

Helga turned to look at Rowena, who had stopped casting and glanced over at them. 

“How so?” Rowena asked her. “He made the curse?” 

“Not at all. I believe he fired or otherwise suggested our Defense professors leave at the end of the year,” Minerva explained. “Certainly there were some times that it happened on its own, like Lockhart a few years ago, or Quirrel the year before him, but both times, Mister Potter was involved.” 

“Before Harry got to school, were there as many incidents with your Defense teachers as there are now?” Salazar asked her with a frown. Minerva considered the question for a moment before she firmly shook her head. 

“Certainly not. In fact, a great deal of our professors were much better suited for the job before he came to school.”

Salazar’s lips thinned. “Please tell us what has happened with each teacher since Harry got here.” 

So, Minerva found herself sitting at her desk in front of the four of them, gossiping like a schoolgirl. “In 1991, Quirinus Quirrel was hired as our Defense Professor. He was truthfully a fine professor, but he had a horrible stutter and took quite a while to go through his lessons.” 

“Harry has told me he was possessed by Voldemort,” Salazar told her. “Did you not notice? Did no one notice at all?” 

“We did,” Minerva disagreed regretfully. “Filius and I brought it up numerous times, but Albus only promised that Quirinus was perfectly safe. He’s either a fool or planned it all along.” 

“I’d say both,” Godric grumbled. 

“Obviously, he had no choice to come back,” Salazar continued for her. “He died. I do understand that. Do you know why Dumbledore chose Lockhart the next year?” 

“Albus told us that Lockhart was the only one to apply,” Minerva frowned at them. “I told him to decline the application and find someone else, but he accepted it.” 

“What happened with him?” 

Minerva shook her head sadly as she remembered. She deeply regretted how little she’d listened to Harry and his friends throughout their first few years of school, and she knew it was likely the reason they came to her no more. “Gilderoy attempted to Obliviate Harry and Ronald with Ronald’s broken wand. It backfired and he lost his memories. He is in St. Mungo’s as a permanent patient now.” 

“He tried to Obliviate two twelve-year-old boys?” Helga asked in horror. “How cruel!” 

“Having lost his memory, he could not come back,” Salazar nodded his understanding. “And the next year, who was that?” 

“That was Remus,” Minerva smiled fondly. “I’ve always loved that boy. He was always quiet, brilliant, and had the best control over Sirius’s… pranks. Unfortunately, he left because Severus threatened to tell the board that he is a werewolf. We were all sad to see him go. He was an incredible professor.”

The four exchanged a glance before they looked back at her expectantly, this time with a plan in mind. 

“Last year was… it was meant to be Alastair Moody,” she explained with a small frown. “But Alastair was captured by Barty Crouch Jr. That boy polyjuiced himself into Alastair for an entire year. He put Harry’s name into the Goblet of Fire. He guided him through the tournament… it’s horrible, truly.”

“I assume he left when he was caught,” Rowena hummed, tapping her fingers against her knee. Minerva nodded. 

“He was arrested once more. Understandably, Alastair refused to work here this year. Not only because he’d been kept in a trunk for a year over the position, but because now that You-Know-Who is back, he has work to do in fighting him.” 

“Alastair Moody is a retired Head Auror, right?” Godric wondered. At her nod of confirmation, he hummed. “Is there a reason he hasn’t gone back to the Ministry?” 

“Albus advised him against it. He said there were too many Death Eaters with their eyes on Auror positions and that Alastair could do much more from the Order.” 

“Fool,” Salazar hissed. “Is he  _ trying _ to lose this war?” 

“It certainly seems like it,” Rowena muttered bitterly. 

“What was his reasoning for hiring Umbridge?” Godric questioned as the two glared at the desk thoughtfully. 

“The Ministry,” Minerva answered immediately. “He claimed they were pressuring him to allow them to control the school. Umbridge had control of the entire school in no time. His resistance was non existent.”

“WIth that in mind, I believe we should test your theory,” Helga told her. “And hire Remus once more. From everything you, Harry, Ron, and Hermione have told us, he is exactly who we need.” 

Minerva couldn’t help but smile at them brightly. “I believe I quite agree. Can I ask, will there be changes to current staff?” 

“I’m firing Snape,” Salazar said plainly. She gave him a startled look, along with his friends. They hadn’t discussed it yet, but when he’d caught Draco again a few minutes before heading to Minerva’s office, he’d made sure to ask why they had detention. “He is completely inappropriate to students. He gave Hermione and Draco a week of detention.”

“I heard,” Minerva nodded. “I couldn’t find either of them to tell me why. I don’t quite believe what he told me.” 

“Draco told me that Hermione was standing in the potions room, staring,” Salazar said, glancing at his friends. “And Snape began calling her names. Draco, apparently, told him to stop, and so he gave them both a week of detention.”

Minerva’s lips thinned. “I have been as patient with Severus as I could manage for the past twenty-five years for Albus’s sake. I’ll be glad to see him gone.” 

“We have already hired a wonderful historian from France to teach History of Magic,” Helga continued on with a firm nod to her friend. “I believe she may be related to Sirius. She has also agreed to get us caught up on everything over the summer.”

“Sirius?” Minerva wondered. She wasn’t aware of any Black family member that lived in France or was a historian. The Blacks usually stayed in England and worked closely with the ministry or not at all. 

“Yes, her name is Cassiopeia Black.” 

Minerva took a moment to take in a deep breath and wipe the shock off of her face. “She’s still alive?” 

“...should she not be?” 

Minerva shook her head. “I apologize. I thought she died in the first war with Dorea. I went to school with both of them. We were quite close for some time.” 

“Well, she’s to arrive tomorrow,” Helga smiled kindly. 

“Thank you for discussing this with us,” Rowena said, getting to her feet with her friends following her lead. “You may have saved us a great deal of wasted effort.”

“Oh, and do not worry,” Godric smiled at her kindly. “If anything were to happen to the four of us, we would be proud to have you handle the school. You’re still the deputy headmistress.” 

* * *


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter Twenty-Three**

Harry followed Salazar through the halls of the ministry. They were both understandably tense over the meeting ahead of them. The last time Harry had spoken with the woman they went to meet, she’d been telling him he was not going to have his wand snapped and be expelled. 

“We’re here to see Amelia Bones,” Salazar told the young secretary. The man blinked at him a few times before turning and hurrying to the new Minister’s office. He came back a moment later and waved them into the room. Salazar gently pushed his son in front of him and the two entered together. 

“Thank you for coming,” Amelia smiled at them kindly. They each shook her hand before all three sat and she offered them some tea, which they declined. “I’m sorry to call you in on such short notice.”

“Just kinda worried you’ve rethought and wanna send me to Azkaban,” Harry half-joked, offering her a nervous grin. She laughed softly and shook her head. 

“I couldn’t if I wanted to, and I don’t. I understand why you cast the Patronus, Mister Potter.”

Harry screwed up his face. “Please call me Harry.” 

“Harry,” she nodded. “I actually wanted to talk with you about your DA.” 

Harry exchanged a glance with his father. That was all? “Uh… okay. If this is about that spell I tried to teach them a few months ago, I didn’t know it was dark magic until Susan told me it was.”

Amelia laughed and shook her head. “No, you’re not in trouble, Harry. Susan has been telling me about the group, however, and I thought there are a few things you should know about the group of students you’ve assembled.”

“Er… okay?” Harry looked at Salazar and back at the Minister. “None of them are Death Eaters, if that’s what you’re worried about. I mean, I guess Theo and Draco were  _ gonna _ be but they’re fine now.” 

“Harry,” Salazar said, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Why don’t we let her explain?”

“Yeah, that’s probably a good idea.” 

Amelia chuckled and grabbed a folder. She handed it over and he flipped through it curiously. “What do you notice?” 

“These are… what, the parents of the DA kids?” Harry blinked, handing it over to Salazar, who glanced through it as well.

“No, Harry,” she disagreed. “That is the Potter Alliance.”

“The  _ what _ ?” Harry blinked, grabbing the folder back despite the fact that Salazar wasn’t finished. He flipped through it again, confused. “The Potter what now?” 

“Potter Alliance,” she repeated, smiling at him fondly. “Susan and I discussed what she was learning. Through a few of these conversations, I noticed a pattern in who else was in this group of yours, Harry. Every single person in your DA is the child of someone in the Potter Alliance, save for Hermione.”

“But… what is the Potter Alliance? I just- we just picked people that were good. Hermione invited them all! I didn’t even know who was coming until everyone showed up. How did this happen?” 

“That is what I was wondering,” Amelia told him. “I assumed you hadn’t heard of the Alliance since you haven’t been involved with any politics up until this point.” 

“I’ve never heard of it,” he confirmed. “What is it, exactly?” 

“It’s very old, for one. It was created a very long time ago when specific groups began forming in the Wizengamot. There was the Black Alliance, the Potter Alliance, and the Prewett Alliance. These Alliances are named after the people that made and led them, who had the most seats out of everyone.” 

“Seats, you mean-,”

“Votes,” she explained. “So if we were voting on a law, as Lord Potter, you’d have seventeen votes to cast. Most Houses only have a few. Your House actually has the most votes in all of the Wizengamot.” 

“Merlin,” Harry looked to his father. “I’m starting to think I should’ve taken a crash course in all of this  _ before _ becoming Lord Potter.” 

“How could Harry have put together a group with the same people that are in this Alliance?” Salazar asked Amelia in concern. 

“I believe it has to do with the old vows,” she began explaining, sitting back in her chair. “They’re vows that everyone in the Alliance took many years ago. They function as a sort of bond. They pulled the students together through Harry.” 

“Is this Alliance still functioning?” Harry asked with a small frown. “What do they do?” 

“It is, to an extent,” she said slowly. “We try to stay united, but we don’t hold meetings anymore. We haven’t done so since your grandparents died and your parents went into hiding. We are lucky in that we all vote on the same things most of the time, mostly because we are well aligned in politics.” 

“And I just happened to accidentally create a group made completely out of Alliance members’ kids,” Harry muttered, sitting back in the chair. “And now I’m Lord Potter, so… you think I should bring it together again. That’s why you called me here.” 

“Exactly,” she confirmed. “Now more than ever, we need a united front. With someone leading the Alliance, with your votes in play again, we will get much more done than ever before.”

“And you think these people will listen to me?” Harry wondered. “No offense, but at least two of these people were all for expelling me.” 

“We will set up a meeting,” Salazar told him. “Discuss this Alliance with them. Their goals, our goals, and how to go about meeting them.” 

“Brilliant idea,” Amelia smiled approvingly. “I can set up a dinner, if you’d like. I have worked with all of them before.” 

“Only if their kids are there,” Harry decided suddenly. “But quick question, why aren’t the Weasley’s in here?” 

“They lost their seat some years ago,” she explained with a sigh. “It was unfortunate. Arthur’s father gambled it away.” 

“Well… can they get it  _ back _ ?” Harry asked. “Where did it go? What happened to it?” 

“It doesn’t have a home right now,” Amelia realized. “It went to Barty Crouch, but with his death last year, it’s been sitting there. I believe if you suggested it, enough people will vote to bring it back in.” 

“And can people join the Alliance? Like Sirius?” 

Amelia hesitated, considering the question. “The Black regent was recently fired, I know. I assumed Sirius would not place his votes on the side of the dark, but to abandon his own Alliance… it would destroy them. To join yours… there would be an almost uncomfortable amount of power. Unless the light and dark, the opposing forces, united, they wouldn’t have a chance to win anything. It would likely lead to more light leaning Houses flooding to your Alliance and-,”

“What are you saying?” Harry asked, leaning forward. “It would work?” 

“Normally, I would be very against this,” she told him seriously. “That amount of power to one party is dangerous. During wartime, however, taking as much of their power away as possible is the most important thing…. Yes, it would work.” 

“Let’s do it,” Harry grinned. “I can let the DA know about the dinner, so see if you can set it for next Saturday.” 

* * *

Sirius and Remus got to Hogwarts at ten to noon the next day. Harry had invited them both with a scarily Marauder-esque grin and told them to be in the Professors’ office at that very specific time. 

When they got there, they found Harry and Godric talking together. “-I do know, Uncle, I’m just saying, they have a right to-,”

“They do not,” Godric disagreed firmly. “Helga will never allow it, Harry.”

“So she won’t know,” Harry insisted. “ _ Please _ . He’s been a complete asshole to me for the past five years and they had to go to  _ school _ with him! Just let me give them this.” 

Godric sighed and waved Harry toward the room that used to be Dumbledore’s living quarters. “Keep them in there. Make no noise and do not come out until everyone else has left.” 

“Yes!” Harry grinned excitedly. “Thank you.” 

Godric shook his head fondly and walked out of the office to go find his friends and the man in question. Once he was gone, Sirius and Remus stepped out together. 

“Pup,” Sirius raised an eyebrow. “What’s going on?”

“I’ve got something you won’t wanna miss,” Harry promised him. “But Uncle Godric says you have to stay quiet and up there, so let’s go.” 

The two men, for lack of understanding, followed Harry up the stairs. Once they entered the room, he slammed the door shut behind them and put up a couple of spells so that, should they make noise, they wouldn’t be heard. 

“Harry, what are we doing here?” Remus asked warily. “What are they doing?” 

Harry waved him off and looked through the small window in the door. Helga was the first to enter the room. She took off her outer robes and set them neatly on her chair, taking a seat. After her came Rowena, who did the same. Her hair was a bit messy in a bun, somewhat similar to how Hermione looked after hours of fruitless research in the library. Finally, Godric and Salazar walked in together, talking quietly together. Salazar’s eyes flew to the door and met Harry’s. 

“Oh, shit,” Harry whispered. Luckily, Salazar only frowned in disapproval but said nothing. “Thank Merlin. That was close. I’m definitely gonna get a lecture for this later.” 

“For  _ what _ ?” Remus questioned again. 

“Shh,” Harry waved at them as the door to the office opened again. This time, Snape walked in. Upon sighting him, Sirius moved closer. 

“Snivellus?” he asked curiously. “What is he-,”

“Quiet,” Harry hissed. He pulled up a familiar product, holding the Extendable Ear for all of them to listen to. 

“Snape,” Rowena greeted curtly. “We thought we might have a talk with you.” 

“Obviously,” Snape drawled, looking between them. His eyes settled on Salazar, which was the wrong move. “What am I here for?” 

Salazar considered him. “We’ve been informed of your… teaching style, and we deeply disagree with it. I was told of an incident in which you forced a student’s toad to drink a ruined potion?” 

“Mister Longbottom refused to listen to the simplest of instructions. He could do nothing right and-,”

“And that is another problem,” Salazar interrupted sharply. “You  _ clearly _ hate children, and you verbally abuse them constantly, but no one more than my son.” 

There was a pause. 

“You won’t defend yourself?” Godric asked him angrily. “What, you save those sharp words for mere  _ children _ ?” 

“Beyond that,” Salazar continued. “You are an abysmal professor. While you taught them some important things, you also did not manage to tell them some of the most basic facts that would save them so much trouble. It was almost as if you wanted them to fail."

“It is not my fault they’re horribly inept,” Snape snapped at them. “If you believe you’d do so much better, I implore you to do so.” 

“I will,” Salazar confirmed. “Because you’re fired.” 

“ _ Holy shit _ ,” Sirius let out a bright laugh, grinning. 

“You cannot-,”

“We can,” Helga interrupted. “And we have. At the end of term, please take your things and go.” 

Snape, furious, turned on his heel and sped out of the room. Once he was gone, Sirius grabbed Harry in a hug and spun him around excitedly. 

“You are the best Marauder of us all,” he declared. “I can’t believe you let us watch him be fired!” 

“I figured you’d enjoy it.” 

“That was cruel,” Remus disagreed. “He’s just lost his job, Harry. Everyone needs to make money.” 

“Sure, but he’s loaded,” Harry shrugged. At the looks he got, he blinked. “What? He’s the Prince heir. They’re super rich.” 

“Still… his job, Harry.” 

“Remus, he cost you  _ your _ job,” Harry reminded him. “One that you liked! With the way he treated students, his Slytherin favoritism, and poisoning Trevor, he deserved this.” 

The door swung open and Harry, who had been leaning on it, fell flat on the ground. 

“Ow.”

“Harry,” Helga gasped. 

Harry pulled himself to his feet and smiled sheepishly at his father. “Athair, I just thought that they-,”

“I know what you thought,” Salazar assured him. “But you should have hid it better.” 

“Yeah, Pup, haven’t you heard?” Sirius asked with a grin. “Don’t get in trouble, but if you can’t manage that, don’t get caught.” 

“It’s what your grandmother told us,” Remus explained at the incredulous look Harry gave Sirius. “We took her advice quite often.” 

“She was a Slytherin,” Sirius commented, glancing at Salazar. The man nodded in approval. 

“I don’t mind that you were here, Harry-,”

“Sal!” 

“-but you got caught immediately. Have we taught you nothing?”

“Uncle Godric told me where to hide,” Harry defended. “I just did what he said.”

“Godric!” Helga exclaimed. “You two are horrible influences. Harry shouldn’t be celebrating anyone’s misery.” 

“Well, in all fairness, he was awful to me,” Harry defended. “He celebrated  _ my _ misery, so I thought it was fair I do the same.” 

“Well, Remus, since you’re here,” Rowena smiled, brushing the subject aside for another time. “We did hope to speak with you.”

“You did?” Remus, Sirius, and Harry asked together. 

“Yes,” she chuckled. “We hoped you would be open to taking your spot as Defense Professor back.”

“But… the curse,” was all Remus could manage as he was overwhelmed by emotion. 

“We spoke with Minerva and we aren’t sure that it is real,” Salazar admitted. “I suppose this could be a test.”

“I would take it up myself, but there are more students,” Godric explained. “I will help, of course. We can work out a schedule.” 

“If you think there is no curse, I would love to,” Remus told them before pausing. “What about… I’m a werewolf.” 

“Well, it’s not like you’re lacking Wolfsbane,” Sirius patted his shoulder. “As much as I enjoyed our teenage shenanigans, I don’t particularly feel like running around once a month, play fighting a werewolf. Nah, I’ll keep you supplied.”

“I don’t know,” Remus shook his head. “I could’ve killed Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Snape. I forgot my potion.” 

“Well, we’re Animagi now,” Harry told him, surprising both of them. “And we’ll make sure to remind you now that we know.” 

“You’re-  _ what _ ? I don’t- but I could hurt someone?” 

“D’you think this is what his conversation with Dumbledore was like?” Harry whispered to Sirius, who nodded. 

“Probably lots of ‘I could kill people! I’m extra furry sometimes and eat lots of chocolate once a month!’”

“Hey, I did not-,”

“So, you’ll do it?” Harry asked, interrupting his denial. Remus looked at him, staring into the eyes of one of his closest friends. Imagining Lily being there did nothing to help him - he knew she’d beg him to help protect her son. With a long sigh, Remus nodded. 

“Yes, I will.” 

“Yes!” 

* * *

Hermione sat in the library with a book in front of her, though she wasn’t reading it. She stared at the pages, not comprehending a word, as she tried to process what all had happened since getting back. 

She’d stopped avoiding her friends, for one. After Harry and Ron waited for her in the Room of Requirement, she’d admitted to herself that she was certainly not being the Gryffindor she was. And she had missed her friends, that was for certain. After spending so much time with them, relying on them and growing together as people, she felt it was unfair of her to stay away so purposely. 

She was, however, still avoiding the founders. Draco had warned her that they were looking for her and what they’d questioned him about. She did trust them, and she did want their help, but she felt… angry, she supposed, that they had kept something so important from her. She thought she understood Harry’s anger with the adults in his life. 

“You haven’t turned the page in ten minutes.” 

Hermione took a moment to breathe before she looked up from the book at Theo, who was standing by the table looking at her curiously. She resisted the urge to just turn back to her book and instead closed it. “I wasn’t reading it.” 

“If you’re going to pretend to read a book, you should remember to turn the pages,” he suggested, sitting down next to her. He glanced at the title of the book and nodded. “‘Souls and the Magic Within.’ That won’t help you.”

“Clearly, I wasn’t reading it,” she leaned back to cross her arms. “So either I already figured that out, or I didn’t expect it to.” 

“You didn’t expect it to,” he said after a minute. “I assume Draco told you there’s no cure.” 

“He’s made that very clear to me along with Sirius,” she muttered, avoiding his gaze. “I don’t need you to tell me as much, too. I’ve got it.” 

“There’s no cure,” he told her, ignoring her words. She looked up to glare at him, but he put his hand up. “Not yet. I can try.”

“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t try that whole false hope thing,” she requested. “From what Sirius told me, this… this is going to mess up my entire life and put me in a lot of danger. I want to be aware of that, not hold out some hope for you to… fix me.”

“I’m serious,” he insisted. “I’ve been practicing curse-breaking since I was a toddler, Hermione. I’ve found cures for incurable things before. Nothing this serious, but I’ll try.”

“I won’t take Sirius’s money, so I don’t have much to offer you-,”

“Don’t worry about it,” he waved her off. “I wasn’t going to ask and Draco already offered.” 

Hermione furrowed her brow. “Why does he care so much, exactly? He hated me before.”

“He did not,” Theo disagreed. “He pretended to. He has been fascinated with you for five years, Hermione. You’re one of the very few people who are a challenge to him. You make him better.” 

“That’s ridiculous,” she shook her head. “He just saw me upset and felt bad for me.”

“Draco doesn’t feel bad for people,” Theo said truthfully. “He might not be a bigot, but he’s still an arse, Hermione. Whatever he saw, he didn’t feel bad for you.” 

“That- of course he did.”

“I’ve known him for twelve years,” Theo scoffed. “If you know him better than I do, then I’m impressed.”

Hermione shook herself. Her friendship with Draco was not what was important. “You’re staying with us this summer?”

“That’s what I’ve been told.” 

“Can you get whatever books you’ll need from Nott Manor first?” 

“I can,” he assured her. “I’ll be going home while my father is gone and leaving once I have my things.” 

Hermione breathed out and sat back. “Okay. Then… I guess I should talk to the professors and let them know.” 

“Quick question,” he said, his lips twisting into a smile. “When I ran into you, you’d just gotten back from… the past?” 

“Sort of,” she confirmed. “We ended up with Sirius first. After that, we came straight here and came out a secret passage. That’s when you ran into us.” 

“And what Potter and Weasley were getting was…”

“Paperwork,” she explained. “For the professors. Their wills, Professor Slytherin’s family tree, things like that.” 

He shook his head at her. “And I was concerned with Draco hexing Umbridge.” 

* * *

**Author's Note:**

> These are also shorter chapters than my other stories! Which means hopefully I'll be able to post it faster than my other stories.


End file.
